Introduction:On the eve of Children's Day, Heytea launched mini-sized cups of beverages, with their compact size appealing to consumers who want to try multiple flavors. However, the system automatically bundles two identical cups together, does not allow single orders or flavor customization, and has a shortage of short straws—sparking widespread customer complaints. This article breaks down the core issues, analyzes the operational challenges faced by stores, and provides practical drinking tips to help you understand the full picture.
As Children's Day approaches, many chain beverage brands have launched themed promotions and limited-edition products. Heytea has also reintroduced its cute and compact mini cup drinks. Significantly smaller than regular cup sizes, these mini cups were initially seen as a new option for customers wanting to sample a variety of flavors or avoid consuming too much sugar and milk in one go—and they quickly garnered attention upon launch.
However, shortly after the mini cups went live, customers soon discovered clear limitations in the system settings: when selecting any flavor of mini cup, the shopping cart automatically displays a requirement to purchase two cups at once, and those two cups must be identical in flavor, sweetness level, and toppings—with no options for personalization or mixing. Customers hoping to "try multiple flavors in one go" with the mini cups were left sorely disappointed.
Some customers expressed that they had hoped to achieve flavor diversity through the small serving size—for example, having one sweet and one less sweet, or pairing different flavor add-ins—but the system’s mandatory bundling of identical cups completely removed that flexibility. Even more frustrating was that when sharing with friends, it was difficult to meet everyone’s taste preferences due to the inability to adjust sweetness or add-ins separately.
In addition, some customers who had already received their mini cups reported that stores provided regular long straws, which created a very poor experience when used with the small mini cups. One consumer bluntly stated: “Sipping with a long straw just fills my stomach with air—it’s really uncomfortable. I barely drank any bubble tea and ended up with a belly full of air.” This shows that even if you manage to purchase the product, you may still encounter inconveniences during actual consumption.
Faced with customer complaints, many netizens voiced their dissatisfaction, believing that since the brand introduced mini cups, it should have taken diverse needs into account. Comments such as “Do we really have to buy two cups?”, “Why can’t we mix and match? I want to try every flavor,” and “What’s the point of only being able to order two identical cups?” reflect high expectations for single-item ordering and flavor selection flexibility.
From the perspective of store employees, however, this restriction is an unavoidable measure. According to insiders, the official guidelines did not provide specific ingredient ratios for the mini cups, so stores could only evenly divide a medium-sized drink into two mini cups. If they were to customize different flavors or sweetness levels per customer request, it would not only significantly reduce service efficiency but could also lead to ingredient waste. Moreover, the official promotion clearly states that the two cups in the set are identical drinks, so stores can only follow this rule and find it difficult to make flexible adjustments.
As for the shortage of short straws, staff explained that although mini cups are supposed to come with corresponding short straws, due to the short duration of the promotion, most stores have limited stock of short straws. Once they run out, only regular long straws can be offered temporarily, further affecting the drinking experience.
Overall, the controversy surrounding Heytea’s mini cups mainly centers on the system’s restrictive bundled sales policy, the lack of flexibility in flavor customization, and the inadequate preparation of accessories (straws). For consumers, if you want to try them out, it is recommended to first check whether the store has short straws available and to understand that the current system only supports ordering two identical cups. For the brand, if similar promotions continue in the future, increasing ordering flexibility and ensuring adequate supplies of dedicated accessories in advance will help improve overall customer satisfaction.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
