This S’pore Biz Turns TCM Into Milk Tea, Purchased 150K+ Cups 8 Mths In

The founders spent S$250K to rearrange Amacha & launch its first outlet

Have you ever ever ever willingly reached for a pure drink—not because you felt unwell, nonetheless because you genuinely wanted one?

That question underpins Amacha, a current Chinese language language pure milk tea mannequin primarily based by serial entrepreneur Sebastian Ang, 34, and his enterprise confederate Alex Ng, 33.

The enterprise attracts from the customized of liang cha, or Chinese language language pure tea, nonetheless repackages it for a youthful, further commercially pushed viewers—eschewing the bitterness and overt medicinal framing which have prolonged restricted the category’s attraction.

For Sebastian, Amacha is as rather a lot a personal story because it’s a enterprise enterprise. We spoke with him to be taught further regarding the mannequin.

Childhood reminiscences sparked the enterprise idea

The idea for Amacha was impressed by Sebastian’s grandmother, his Ah Ma, who cared for him as he grew up. Like many households, hers was one throughout which liang cha was recurrently brewed—not merely as a therapy, nonetheless as a sort of care. These early reminiscences stayed with him.

“After I used to be youthful, I would secretly spit out the liang cha because of I hated the model!” Sebastian joked. “Nevertheless now, I drink it typically.”

Prolonged sooner than Amacha took type, standard Chinese language language medication (TCM) had moreover already woven itself into Sebastian’s life. Rising up near a Chinese language language medication hall, he was uncovered to the sight and scent of dried herbs in his regularly environment. That proximity sparked a curiosity about herbs, wellness, and additional unconventional approaches to therapeutic.

As alongside along with his completely different ventures (speakeasy bar Mama Diam, which hides behind the facade of a mama retailer, and TCM-inspired bar Synthesis), Sebastian didn’t want to copy what already existed. To honour his Ah Ma’s legacy, he envisioned a pure drink thought that people would attain for not because of they wanted to, nonetheless because of they wanted to.

Liang cha, however, has prolonged carried an image draw back. To many, it’s associated to sturdy, bitter, medicinal flavours. Nonetheless, with altering attitudes spherical wellness, Sebastian seen Amacha as a risk to modernise it for a youthful period.

“A number of folks now are starting to pay further consideration to their properly being,” he outlined, so he sought to create the mannequin to swimsuit into that lifestyle.

Making herbs drinkable

Sebastian started Amacha with Alex, whom he met whereas working Synthesis, the place the latter was the bar’s supervisor

In line with Sebastian, Alex, a seasoned F&B expert, stood out for his sharp palate and instinctive understanding of favor profiling and recipe estimation. Sebastian recalled that Alex would possibly seemingly conjure a recipe to match any flavour profile on the spot.

Collectively, the duo received all the way down to modernise Chinese language language pure drinks with out stripping them of their cultural roots. To try this accurately, they went once more to the provision. In Jan remaining 12 months, the duo travelled to China for a two-part TCM course, spending per week studying the thought behind TCM herbs—their properties, options, and functions—sooner than finding out strategies to brew specific Chinese language language pure teas in Guangzhou and Hunan.

Via the journey, they sampled a wide range of pure drinks rooted in yang sheng (養生), an historic Chinese language language apply centred on “nourishing life” to promote properly being, vitality, and longevity. Rooted in Daoism and TCM, yang sheng emphasises preventative care over curing sickness.

Sebastian moreover well-known that yang sheng continues to be broadly practised amongst youthful people in China, a lot of whom recurrently devour pure teas and search wellness therapies akin to acupuncture and tuina (推拿) therapeutic massages.

After getting back from the journey, the duo launched Amacha in Apr 2025, investing S$250,000 to open its Pagoda Highway flagship outlet.

Although Sebastian wasn’t very assured regarding the thought, he nonetheless decided to take the leap.

“Once more then, I wasn’t optimistic that people may be receptive to this concept,” Sebastian mirrored. “Nevertheless I merely wanted to try.”

It turned out to achieve success—footfall was sturdy, and enterprise picked up quickly, significantly as its outlet was located on the coronary coronary heart of Chinatown, tucked behind a statue of a Samsui woman—an unplanned coincidence that later aligned neatly with the mannequin’s seen identification and emblem.

For its mannequin aesthetic, Amacha attracts inspiration from the essential Chinese language language phrase wan shou wu jiang (万寿无疆), which means “boundless longevity.” Usually seen on red-and-gold porcelain from Jingdezhen all through the Sixties to Nineteen Eighties, the phrase symbolises prolonged life and prosperity. These motifs are merely recognisable on Amacha’s cups instantly.

Contained in the partnership, Sebastian oversees operations and product sales, whereas Alex leads drink enchancment—allowing each founder to focus on what they do most interesting.

The mannequin carries 20 drinks all through its menu, typically costing spherical S$5.90.

One occasion is the Respira Bloom, a drink marketed to alleviate cough indicators. It includes substances akin to lily bulb, dried pear, and purple dates, paired with jasmine inexperienced tea. Whereas the beliefs behind these herbs keep rooted in customized, the flavour profiles are deliberately refined for a up to date viewers.

To commemorate his Ah Ma, Sebastian moreover created Grandma’s Therapy—Amacha’s signature drink. It’s a stylish reinterpretation of a liang cha recipe he found by shadowing his grandmother whereas rising up.

Scaling to three outlets

Proper now, Sebastian shared that the majority of Amacha’s prospects are working adults, “nonetheless they’re slowly influencing completely different age groups to devour them.”

From his observations, a significant number of male prospects purchase drinks for his or her households, and even youngsters beneath the age of 10 are being launched to pure drinks by way of their dad and mother.

Utilizing on this demand, Amacha has since expanded to three outlets. Whereas social media carried out a key perform in gaining traction, Sebastian is clear that it’s not what sustains a enterprise in the long run.

“For a enterprise to take care of, it’s not practically promoting and advertising and marketing anymore,” he acknowledged. “The product itself must be good to make prospects maintain and maintain looking for further.”

As such, the mannequin its pure drinks in-house early every morning, with preparation events ranging from 4 to six hours counting on the beverage. The meticulous course of is dependent upon premium substances and naturally costs higher than typical milk tea operations.

To that end, the workers prepares all of Amacha’s pure drinks in-house each morning, with preparation events ranging from 4 to six hours counting on the beverage. The meticulous course of makes use of premium substances, which naturally costs higher than typical milk tea operations.

To take care of pricing trustworthy, Amacha supplies drinks with out toppings at cheaper worth components. When the Tampines outlet opened in Nov, the workers adjusted prices downward by about 15%. As ingredient costs had been unfold all through further outlets, Sebastian believed it was important to cross these monetary financial savings on to prospects.

That concentrate on product prime quality and trustworthy pricing has paid off. Sebastian describes Amacha’s progress as comparatively simple, with the mannequin selling higher than 150,000 cups since opening.

Sustaining consistency & growing the enterprise

As a result of the mannequin expands, Sebastian admitted that sustaining consistency is his best concern. With further outlets comes higher operational complexity, nonetheless he has found to lean on his rising workers of 17 workers and to look at in recurrently to ensure necessities are upheld.

“No person is good in any respect the items, not even founders,” he acknowledged. “Usually, it’s possible you’ll’t do all of the items your self and must let people do what they’re most interesting at.”

Sooner than Amacha, Sebastian made enterprise choices all through his completely different ventures that he now views as costly—every financially and strategically. Whereas he didn’t go into component, these experiences shaped his further cautious and deliberate technique this time spherical.

“I had made various improper choices alongside my entrepreneurial journey,” he acknowledged. “Nevertheless all of that made me further cautious and decisive with Amacha.”

Really, Sebastian even returned to highschool, ending a enterprise administration course remaining 12 months, sooner than opening Amacha.

Making an attempt ahead, prospects can anticipate acquainted favourites, alongside new creations at Amacha.

“Alex and I are on a regular basis in search of to create drinks that spark curiosity amongst Singaporeans, whereas balancing the wellness benefits in them,” Sebastian acknowledged.

The duo hopes to introduce further TCM-inspired decisions and finally carry Amacha overseas. A fourth outlet at Capitol may be slated to open in 2026.

• Discover out about Amacha proper right here.
• Be taught further tales we’ve written on Singaporean corporations proper right here.

Featured Image Credit score rating: Amacha