Introduction:Heytea has recently been rolling out new beverage flavors frequently. For example, the upcoming
Heytea is set to launch the first product in its new
However, this seemingly exciting new product plan has brought considerable pressure to frontline staff. According to statistics, Heytea has launched at least seven new products in the past two months, including various milk teas, fruit and vegetable teas, and smoothie-style drinks. The menu is updated on a small scale almost every 1 to 2 weeks, with each update typically introducing one or two new items.
As the variety of new products increases, store preparation procedures have become increasingly complex. Some employees revealed that the earlier fruit and vegetable tea series already turned the ingredient prep area into something akin to a restaurant kitchen, requiring frequent washing and chopping of various fruits such as mangoes, grapes, and watermelons—adding significant prep time and hygiene maintenance costs.
Later, when the brand introduced the Cheese Moo Moo series, the preparation process became even more complicated. Staff not only had to prepare the tea base but also continuously stir the cheese paste in pots on induction cookers during operating hours. The prolonged manual labor led many employees to report sore arms, with some even experiencing noticeable muscle adaptation reactions within just a few days.
Entering summer, smoothie products became a focus of new launches, but this also presented new challenges for staff. Making smoothies not only requires frequent operation of ice crushing equipment but also demands control over texture fineness and service speed. One employee joked, “The blender is practically giving me tendonitis,” reflecting both the physical toll of high-frequency operations and potential occupational injury risks.
Many frontline employees noted that the preparation steps for new products have become increasingly elaborate, not only extending the time it takes to make each drink but also raising the chance of mistakes. Especially when combined with official promotions, delivery platform discounts, and other campaigns, stores can easily experience sudden rushes of orders—leaving staff overwhelmed by pressure from both customers and delivery riders, with stress levels hitting their peak.
On social platforms, many Heytea employees have anonymously shared their thoughts. One bluntly stated: “Did the Heytea R&D team ever consider the workload of the staff?” This comment quickly resonated widely, with many colleagues responding in the comments section, sharing their own work challenges.
Another employee added: “Even barbecue stall cooks don’t have to sprinkle as many toppings as we do per cup,” “Just putting things up—not taking them down—and there’s no space left for the various types of cheese alone!” “I cried for real yesterday,” “One Cloud Top drink uses five cheese containers—there’s simply no room at the serving station,” “Making smoothies gave me muscles,” “After working part-time at Heytea for six months, my friend and I think this job is only second to hauling bricks at a construction site.” These real voices reveal the genuine challenges of a high-intensity work environment.
Industry observers pointed out that while it’s understandable for brands to stimulate market demand and customer return through frequent new launches, failing to simultaneously assess product life cycles and actual store operational burdens may lead to issues like resource waste and staff attrition. Some employees suggest that for items whose popularity has faded or whose sales remain consistently low, the brand should consider removing them from the menu—not only to reduce material waste but also to effectively ease store workloads, providing workers with a more reasonable labor environment.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
