Location in Shenzen. Photo: NGAON32 Hongam via Wikimedia Commons
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NaiSnow, a Chinese teahouse and bakery chain with nearly 2,000 locations worldwide, has just opened a new location on the Upper West Side–its third in New York.
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The recent opening at 971 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 107th and West 108th streets) marks another major Chinese brand setting up shop near Columbia University. Just last week, we reported that Luckin Coffee, China’s largest coffee chain, is preparing to open a location at 2799 Broadway at West 108th Street—the former home of Cascabel Taqueria.NaiSnow—known in China as Nayuki—was founded in Shenzhen in 2014 by Peng Xin and her husband Zhao Lin. The brand name came from an online handle Peng used. The company became the first upscale teahouse chain to be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange when it went public in 2021, raising $656 million in its IPO.
The brand was designed with a specific demographic in mind: professional women in their twenties to mid-thirties. Noticing that milk tea shops were often considered low-end, NaiSnow’s founders set out to create elevated, aesthetically designed spaces suitable for socializing that met the needs of modern urban women. They focused on high-quality drinks, premium cups, and carefully considered store design to distinguish themselves from typical tea shops.
This is NaiSnow’s third New York location. The company opened its first-ever U.S. store in Flushing, Queens in October, quickly followed by a location in Long Island City. At the Flushing grand opening, the company’s emcee Zaozao called it a milestone: “We came all the way from Shenzhen to New York, from China to the world.”
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The menu features health-focused drinks such as the Matcha Coconut (organic matcha paired with Thai coconut water for a layered hydration boost), the Super Avocado (a refreshing superfood blend with oat popping pearls, chia seeds, and probiotics), and the Daily Green Bottle (made with fresh kale, apple, and lemon). The brand positions itself as combining traditional Chinese tea with a modern bakery concept.On the pastry side, NaiSnow offers a range of freshly made sweet and savory items. Highlights include the caramel egg tart (a croissant-style pastry filled with custard and caramel), the coffee tiramisu tart (sponge cake soaked in coffee and layered with cream on a buttery tart base), the matcha tiramisu tart (made with premium Jingshan matcha powder), and the seaweed meat floss mini cakes (a sweet and salty treat made with seaweed flakes, pork floss, and a hint of sweet salad dressing).
Early reviews for the Upper West Side location have been positive, with Google reviewers giving it 4.9 out of 5 stars based on 20 reviews.
NaiSnow is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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