Reviewing Alfa Tea Concept in Burnaby - Mac-who Tea?

Let's drink some bubble tea! We wanted some refreshing mango drinks to quench our thirst on this sunny Weekend evening, so we made the trek to this new spot called Alfa Tea, formerly called Macu Tea. Is it worth the hype and long wait? Or is Macu Tea better?

The story behind Alfa Tea Concept is quite interesting. It was formerly known as Macu Tea, a popular bubble tea chain with four locations across Greater Vancouver (Richmond, downtown Vancouver, Kerrisdale, and Burnaby in the Willingdon Square plaza). 

Macu Tea during peak times was consistently busy, around 30 minutes to an hour wait. It was a popular chain and brand in Vancouver. However, recent news suggested operational issues with Macu. There were rumours about management conflicts (perhaps franchisee fallout?) that were circulating on Reddit, and shortly after, 3 of the locations are being swapped to this new brand called "Alfa Tea", with the only Macu remaining in Kerrisdale. 

Luckily, the line wasn't too bad that we had to wait an hour; we started lining up around 3:40 PM and got our drinks at 4:10 PM.  The ordering system is pretty straightforward and they have a variety of items themed after seasons, from mango and strawberry to tea flavours in the fall & winter. 

We ordered two drinks and the total came to around $17. The one on the left is the OG Mango Pomelo Sago and the one on the right was the Mango Amigo Smoothie (with green tea jelly). 

Between the two drinks, the favourite was the OG. It was cold, refreshing, and the sago blended perfectly with the mango. The freshness was apparent as there were multiple employees each focused on a specific task, whether it was blending mango or preparing the drinks. The drink on the right (Amigo smoothie) had similar flavour profiles but the tea flavour was stronger, as a result the sweetness was more muted and slightly watery. Still good, but not as good as the OG.

Compared to Macu Tea, but both are comparable and similar: same DNA, slightly cleaner execution. It's been a while since I've had Macu Tea but they are pretty identical in my mind. The rebrand was a risky choice given customer familiarity with Macu Tea, but if they are able to create a new identity, they can reap all of the rewards and not have to pay franchise fees. 

Overall, the drinks we had were tasty and were worth the wait. Go with their signature drinks, especially the mango ones since they're in season. I really appreciated the freshness and sweetness from the mangos. But in all honesty, the drinks are similar in flavour profile to Macu Tea. If you were to choose one to try, I really liked the OG and prefer that over Macu Tea. 

Hits:

• Very tasty and refreshing drink; real, fresh fruit is always a winning formula
• Similar to Macu Tea and a great option if you're craving their drinks
• Unique drinks; the OG is a smoothie / bubble tea combo
• Plenty of free parking at Willingdon Square

Misses:

• Slightly more expensive than typical bubble teas
• Long line - be prepared to wait
• Menu at the counter means you have to decide on the spot

Rating: 4.5/5 - if I'm in a rush, probably not something I'd go to often but for a one time purchase or with friends & family, the drinks were refreshing and tasty. One of the best mango drinks in the Greater Vancouver area and worth the wait to try.