Yauatcha enters US with luxury dim sum tea houses
Hakkasan Group, an international operator of upscale Chinese restaurants, announced plans to open two luxury dim sum tea houses under its Yauatcha brand in the US. Yauatcha restaurants, launched in London more than a decade ago and now with 4 locations in India, pair fine Chinese dining and dim sums with a comprehensive selection of specialty teas, inspired by founder Alan Yau. The new sites will be located in malls in Houston and Honolulu, and will serve as testing grounds to adapt the concept to the US audience and before a larger expansion. According to the company, the Yauatcha brand was chosen as more casual, approachable and therefore more scalable. Hakkasan group has been expanding aggressively in recent years, with revenue increasing almost 600 percent since 2012.