TORONTO, March 1, 2022 /CNW/ - After more than a quarter century since bubble tea first arrived in Toronto, the city is now readying itself for the newest innovation. Benkei Hime is the next step in the evolution of boba cafes: an integrated retail experience that marries hyper-unique bubble tea drinks with popular streetwear and lifestyle merchandise, right at the heart of the city at Eaton Centre.
The brand was born in Asia, the brainchild of Torontonian Jason Wang, who saw the need for an uplifting experience in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"At Benkei Hime, we want you to have a one-of-a-kind experience. If we can give people a good time during this tough time, then I think we did a good thing here", Wang said. Indeed, this goal of providing smiles can be immediately seen in the vibrant colours, catchy design, and Instagram-worthy decor inside the store.
Seeing its success across Asia is a personal pride for Wang, an Asian-Canadian himself. Following the brand's accomplishment, he feels that now the time is right to bring Benkei Hime back to his hometown.
"I am a proud Torontonian. It has been my dream to build a flagship location here, and there is nowhere better to start than in Eaton Centre", as Wang proclaimed. His plan is now to ensure that the positive message at the heart of the brand is transmitted to a Canadian audience.
Benkei Hime is slated to become a focal meeting point of various worlds. On the surface, it is a place that meshes one-of-a-kind bubble tea drinks with fashionable lifestyle merchandise. Dig deeper, and you will see that it seeks to also be an innovative way to connect Eastern and Western cultures harmoniously.
The interior designs and catchy environment, along with its unique drink flavours like Caramel Sea Salt Pearl Milk Tea and Hazelnut Creme Brulee, all are unmistakably an attempt to fully realize a brand identity that wears its Asian roots proudly, while still being true to the joie de vivre and local culture that is Toronto.
Benkei Hime's unique blend of lifestyle shopping and dessert cafe is expected to spread beyond Toronto soon, as a second location at Markham's CF Markville Mall is scheduled to be open in summer. More stores are currently planned as this new concept is expected to grab the attention of the fashionable and entertainment-savvy Generation Z crowd.
Welcome to Benkei Hime, where the peach is ripe, and the time is now!