Introduction:China’s Guangzhou Railway Group has launched its first self-operated bubble tea brand, “That Girl,” with each cup priced at 26 RMB and daily sales exceeding 3,000 cups. The line includes four flavors—jasmine fruit tea, Hong Kong-style milk tea, tapioca milk tea, and red bean milk tea—positioned around a low-sugar, low-caffeine health-oriented appeal. However, shortly after its release, the product sparked intense online debate among netizens, with discussions focusing on pricing, packaging design, and marketing strategies. This article takes an in-depth look at the development background, flavor characteristics, and market feedback of this high-speed rail bubble tea, offering insight into the challenges and possibilities of dining innovation on trains.
In recent years, China's high-speed rail has not only achieved remarkable success in infrastructure and transportation efficiency but has also gradually upgraded its onboard dining services. Recently, the Guangzhou Railway Group announced the launch of its own bubble tea brand, “That Girl,” priced at 26 RMB per cup. Following its launch, the brand sold an average of 3,000 cups per day, with some periods even seeing supply falling short of demand.
According to official sources, the bubble tea series currently offers four flavors: jasmine fruit tea, original Hong Kong-style milk tea, tapioca milk tea, and red bean milk tea. These are developed and produced by Guangzhou Railway Catering Co., Ltd., and are freshly prepared and sold on high-speed trains within the jurisdiction of the Guangzhou Railway Bureau Group in the provinces of Hunan and Guangdong. Attendants push carts through the train cars to promote the drinks, allowing passengers to enjoy them while seated.
The brand name “That Girl” and its packaging design are quite clever. The cup features an image of a female high-speed rail attendant. According to the official statement, the aim is to create a relatable and representative character that gives passengers a sense of thoughtful service. Guangzhou Railway Catering Co., Ltd. emphasizes that this bubble tea is positioned as a “healthy beverage,” using natural ingredients and adjusting both tea concentration and sugar levels to reduce caffeine intake while delivering a refreshing taste—ideal for enjoying during a high-speed rail journey.
The innovation can be traced back to October 2020, when a scene on CCTV’s program “Riding the High-Speed Rail to See China,” showing reporters enjoying tea on board, garnered attention. Subsequently, the Chinese railway authorities decided to develop an exclusive beverage for high-speed rail, hoping to create a more distinctive in-train food culture and further enhance passengers’ overall experience.
It is understood that the bubble tea officially went on sale in mid-October 2021, available on trains under the jurisdiction of the Guangzhou Railway Bureau Group, and it quickly became a hot topic. A person in charge of Guangzhou Railway Group Catering stated that launching the bubble tea is not just about adding another service item, but also about infusing more cultural and lifestyle elements into China’s high-speed rail. “When passengers see the high-speed train, we also want them to think of a delicious cup of bubble tea.”
However, as “That Girl” bubble tea rapidly trended on social media, public feedback quickly became polarized. Many users left comments under the Weibo hashtag #HighSpeedRailBubbleTeaLaunched, raising questions about the product’s pricing, packaging, flavor, and sales approach.
Some consumers bluntly stated that a 26-RMB cup of bubble tea didn’t even taste as good as a one-RMB tea bag from the supermarket. Meanwhile, the brand name “That Girl” was considered overly straightforward or even tacky, and the image of the female attendant printed on the packaging was seen by some as lacking refinement or misaligned with the brand image. Some netizens even joked that if the packaging said something like “China Railways: Every Cup Contributes to Railway Construction,” it might resonate more.
Additionally, the practice of attendants actively promoting the bubble tea inside train cars sparked further discussion. Some passengers expressed concern that encouraging eating and drinking in enclosed carriages during the pandemic already raised health issues, and the aggressive sales tactics easily brought to mind performance pressure, which in turn affected the overall riding experience.
Despite the ongoing controversy, the introduction of high-speed rail bubble tea is still seen as an important attempt by railway catering services. From branding and product design to marketing strategy, Guangzhou Railway Group clearly aims to align service details with international standards and to develop a distinct high-speed rail dining culture with Chinese characteristics.
Whether future improvements in flavor adjustment, packaging optimization, and service methods can transform “That Girl” from an internet punching bag into genuine word-of-mouth success remains to be seen. For frequent high-speed rail travelers, it might be worth trying out this train-exclusive bubble tea to see if it lives up to expectations.
Looking beyond, the specialty coffee market has also introduced many innovative beverages in recent years, whether in terms of pour-over flavors, extraction parameter adjustments, or unique roasting profiles—all offering consumers a diverse range of choices. The experiment with high-speed rail bubble tea may also serve as inspiration for other beverage innovations.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
