#111 Twrl Milk Tea: Boba is the New Sprinkle & Twrling into Sprouts, Costco, & Pop Up Grocer
Twrl Milk Tea co-founders Olivia Chen and Pauline Chen discuss creating the world's first canned milk tea made with pea milk and single-origin teas, launching six SKUs including Ube and Hojicha varieties, and developing separate boba toppings. The founders detail their rapid retail expansion into Sprouts, Wegmans, and Central Market, while explaining their strategic decision to test Costco to stress-test their operational infrastructure before committing to large-scale distribution. They emphasize their marketing approach, which includes organic press outreach, pop-up events, and a Times Square advertisement, to build brand legitimacy and drive consumer demand.