Kung Fu Tea, Pokemon GO, Niantic ink partnership deal for the mobile game

Kung Fu Tea, the largest bubble tea brand in the United States, announced it has signed a partnership deal with Pokemon GO and its game developer, Niantic Inc. The collaboration will turn the brand’s tea shops into PokeStops and Gyms in the Pokemon Go mobile game.

The year-long contract signed by Kung Fu Tea with Niantic and Pokemon GO will make its more than 350 locations in the U.S. and Canada one of the destinations for “trainers” in the popular game. Starting May 2, players who are also called trainers will be able to visit the bubble tea shops and collect in-game items.

They can gain new items in the Pokemon GO game while they enjoy delicious bubble tea at the Kung Fu Tea stores. Moreover, trainers can also collect limited edition themed cups in June, and these will be in the shops for a limited time only.

The cups will feature the official insignias of Pokemon GO’s teams which are Team Instinct, Team Valor, and Team Mystic. Trainers must save the May 2 date when the Kung Fu Tea locations will officially transform into PokeStops and Gyms to collect more items and capture those Pokemon.

"We are so excited about this collaboration with Niantic and Pokémon GO! Pokémon GO revolutionized the world of interactive mobile games, and Kung Fu Tea has been a proponent of community engagement and innovation in the bubble tea sphere for the past 13 years,” Kung Fu Tea’s marketing manager, Matthew Poveromo, said in a press release. “It is only fitting that they come together and create bigger hubs for all Trainers to fuel up and connect with others both online and off."

Meanwhile, since this is an era when COVID-19 is being monitored, the Pokemon GO team also posted a reminder for all trainers, and it simply reads, “Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO.”