Parents heading out with young children often have to weigh several considerations. Can the kids occupy themselves at this place? Will the space accommodate the whole family? And is a relaxing meal or drink actually possible?
Chagee hopes to tick all three boxes with its new Pasir Ris outlet. The store is its first family-friendly outlet in Singapore’s heartlands.
The outlet officially opened last Friday (21 Aug). It features a dedicated children’s play area. Here, parents can keep an eye on their little ones while settling in with a refreshing drink.
The same day, the brand also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). Both will work together to develop tea beverage competencies jointly. The MOU will also see structured training pathways for ITE students and Chagee employees.
Millennials may remember the vibrant indoor playgrounds at fast-food restaurants. Chagee’s Pasir Ris outlet taps into some of that nostalgia with a play area designed to keep children occupied while their parents take a breather.
There’s a small slide and mini rock-climbing wall. The space includes pretend tea-making stations with tiny aprons, silicone tableware, and dispensing taps. So children can imagine themselves preparing their own Chagee drinks.
Parents can also request a complimentary cup of dairy milk, served warm or cold, for children under 12 who are present in-store with a paying adult.
That way, little ones can have a drink of their own while Mummy and Daddy sip on theirs. There are caffeine-free options to keep things kid-friendly. The perk is available with purchases made at Chagee Pasir Ris Mall.
There’s also a cosy sofa and shelves stocked with storybooks. These give parents another way to spend time with their kids away from screens.
It’s a setup designed to address a broader need for spaces that work better for families.
Guest-of-Honour Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Grassroots Advisor for Pasir Ris-Changi, said this concern often surfaced when speaking with the community.
“When we were doing our engagements with young families, we found that one of the pieces of feedback they gave was that when they take their kids out during weekends or public holidays, they sometimes find it difficult to find family-friendly spaces,” she told MS News.
Image courtesy of Chagee Singapore
Chagee Singapore CEO Lawrence Wen said he had already seen the demand for such a concept at the brand’s Suntec City outlet. This was the brand’s first family-friendly store in Singapore. And it is “full of kids playing on the weekend” while also giving parents a chance to rest.
The Pasir Ris outlet builds on that with a larger play area closer to home for heartland families. Mr Wen added that the neighbourhood was also a natural fit because of its heritage, including its mangroves, fishing villages, and kampongs.
That history is captured in a six-metre mural behind the outlet, hand-painted by artist Rebecca Liu Xibei and featuring references to Pasir Ris’ past.
Image courtesy of Chagee Singapore
Mr Wen said Chagee hopes to bring the family-friendly concept to more neighbourhoods in future.
While the play area is a nice touch, Ms Indranee pointed out that making a space truly family-friendly goes beyond simply giving kids somewhere to play.
It can also mean having high chairs on hand, ensuring barrier-free access for families with seniors in wheelchairs, offering activities for children, and having staff who are comfortable around young kids.
That welcoming attitude can make a real difference for parents who may already feel self-conscious about whether their children will be too noisy.
The way a space is designed matters, too. Ms Indranee said play areas work best when children remain within sight, so parents can relax and chat with other adults while still keeping an eye on their kids.
Image courtesy of Chagee Singapore
She hopes Chagee’s family-friendly Pasir Ris concept will encourage more brands to adopt similar ideas, and said she plans to speak with more restaurants and retailers about creating such spaces across Singapore.
Mall operators have been receptive as well, she added, since family-friendly features can also help drive visits.
“If you are a mall owner, you want more footfall. You want to attract people so that they come to your mall and your tenants get more business,” she said. “As a community, we want community spaces where we can collaborate on activities.”
If F&B outlets can design with families in mind, it will be good for them because it will attract customers, and it means that when families go out, they feel welcomed.
Beyond opening its doors to families, Chagee is also investing in the people behind the counter.
Its new MOU with ITE will see both sides jointly develop tea beverage training across two separate tracks, one for ITE students and another for Chagee baristas.
The collaboration marks the first tea beverage qualification jointly developed by an Institute of Higher Learning and an industry partner.
Mr Wen said the idea came about after Chagee noticed a gap in the industry. “There are qualifications for baristas in the market, but not for tea baristas”, he said.
For Chagee employees, the programme includes a specially curated Micro-Learning Course (MLC). Followed by hands-on training at Chagee’s training centre in Tai Seng.
The fuller programme runs for 26 hours and covers more than just brewing tea, with modules spanning store operations, logistics, retail, and customer service.
Source: Chagee Singapore on Facebook
Denise Tan, Director of the School of Hospitality at ITE College West, said the format was designed with younger workers in mind.
Instead of sitting through long classroom sessions, employees can work through bite-sized learning units at their own pace.
“The target profile of tea baristas are young people. They learn faster on the go, on the fly,” she told MS News.
Chagee baristas who complete the full programme receive a Certificate of Achievement from ITE. More than 20 employees have already earned it.
For ITE students, the arrangement works differently.
A separate MLC on tea beverage preparation will be incorporated into the Barista Service module for Year 1 Higher Nitec in Hospitality Operations students. This will be part of their existing course rather than as a standalone certification.
For Ms Tan, the value lies in giving these skills more formal recognition.
It instils a sense of professional pride, and as a vocational institute, that’s very important to us. Part of our mission is to give people pride in the qualifications they earn.
Source: Chagee Singapore on Facebook
Mr Wen added that the qualification is meant to stay useful even after a barista leaves Chagee, as it is industry-recognised and can support their career elsewhere.
Ms Indranee said she was also glad to see the partnership shine a light on tea as a craft in its own right.
A tea lover herself (MS News learned that teh C siew dai is her go-to order), she noted that while coffee has had plenty of attention in recent years, tea has far deeper roots across cultures.
Taken together, the Pasir Ris opening and ITE partnership reflect Chagee’s broader aim to grow alongside the communities it serves.
As Mr Wen put it, Chagee wants its tea houses to be more than just places to buy a drink, creating spaces for families while supporting young people who choose to build a career with the brand.
For families keen to check out the new outlet, here’s how to get there:
Chagee Pasir Ris Mall
Address: 9 Pasir Ris Central, #01-01 Town Plaza, Singapore 519613
Opening hours: 9am to 9.30pm (Sundays to Thurdays), 9am to 10pm (Fridays and Saturdays)
Nearest MRT station: Pasir Ris
For more updates, follow Chagee Singapore on Instagram.
Also read: Chagee launches 1st store fully staffed by deaf & hard-of-hearing employees in S’pore at NUS
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image by MS News and courtesy of Chagee Singapore.