Background
Established in Shilin in 2010, Truedan’s Chinese name is a play on the martial arts film star Donnie Yen’s name. Their main product is brown sugar milk tea drinks.¹
Franchising in China?
Although the map of shop locations on Truedan’s official website includes a marker in China, a further look into the full of Truedan’s overseas shops reveals that they have not franchised in China. Currently, Truedan has shops in Cambodia, the USA, Taiwan, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, and Australia.²
2019 Hong Kong protests
Although Truedan was also affected by the pro-China drink shop controversy in 2019, their HQ in Taiwan were quick to state that the Truedan shops which had allegedly posted in support of the one-China policy were actually counterfeits. “The counterfeit ‘official website’ was set up by a Chinese merchant’s company and all content on the page was copied illegally from Truedan’s official website without our approval. In reports about the counterfeit Truedan shops involved, the shop decor, style, and products do not match Truedan’s official branding. We have initiated legal investigations into the incident, and will continue to contact lawyers to prosecute those involved and pursue compensation.” ³
2021 Donations to health workers
In order to thank frontline medical staff and police officers who worked hard to fight the pandemic, Truedan donated drinks to the National Taiwan University Hospital and Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital among others. A total of 1,000 cups of Truedan’s signature brown sugar pearl milk tea were given out.⁴
Sources
