If you walked past Orchard Gateway over the past two days, you probably noticed a long snaking queue forming in and outside the mall.

@mothershipsg admin wondering if anybody at the front of the queue wants to help me buy a cup? 😙 #tiktoksg #chageesingapore #chagee #queue #bubbletea #orchardgateway ♬ Roman Holiday - Nicki Minaj

The queue most likely consisted of fans of the Chinese tea brand CHAGEE, which made a return to Singapore with the opening of its first outlet at Orchard Gateway on Aug. 2, almost seven months after closing its Funan outlet.

Between Aug. 2 and 4, fans can also enjoy various promotions in celebration of the Orchard Gateway outlet's grand opening, such as a 1-for-1 deal on Jasmine Green milk tea.

Estimated waiting time up to 4 hours

However, CHAGEE's long-awaited return and promotions also meant that some fans had to queue for hours before they could get their hands on their favourite drinks.

According to a Xiaohongshu user who visited the outlet on Aug. 3 morning, around 300 people were in the queue, and the estimated waiting time was three to four hours.

"I am getting ready to go to Malaysia to buy CHAGEE instead," she wrote.

Some patrons who arrived at the outlet on Aug. 2 evening also lamented that they did not even get to try the drinks, as the outlet had suspended orders in response to a "large volume of orders".

"I will never come queue for it again," shared a male Xiaohongshu user.

CHAGEE making changes to improve customer experience

The immense support from its Singapore fans also prompted CHAGEE to adopt a number of changes at its Orchard Gateway outlet.

One such change is to limit the number of cups a customer can order to four so that the outlet can create "a better experience" and "serve more customers", according to a Facebook post published by CHAGEE on Aug. 2.

The brand added:

"At CHAGEE, we always strive to treat everyone with genuine care and respect. We have taken onboard the feedback shared and will do our best to improve the experience for everyone. We thank you for the chance to serve you again in the future."