For many Aussie kids, that first taste of “Asian food” doesn’t come from a banquet or a family trip overseas. It comes after school, in the form of a sugar-loaded bubble tea, or a sushi roll. These quick treats the nom noms of childhood have become Australia’s entry point to Asian flavours.
What’s less known is that behind almost every one of these brands sits a 🇨🇳🇦🇺 Chinese Australian founder or franchise operator. Whether it’s milk tea with pearls or sushi on a conveyor belt, Australia’s Asian fast-food scene has been built by immigrant families who turned global food trends into everyday staples.
🧋 Bubble Tea: Sweet Drinks, Serious Business
- Gong Cha (170+ stores) — Master franchise run by 🇨🇳🇦🇺 Lili Shi & George Kwok, Chinese Australian operators.
- Sharetea (140+ stores) — Brought here by 🇨🇳🇦🇺Anthony Mu, a Chinese Australian entrepreneur.
- Chatime (70+ stores) — Taiwanese brand globally, but Australian growth steered by Chinese & Vietnamese Australian hands.
- CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice (35+ stores) — Global chain of founder Tommy Hung, with Aussie stores in Chinese Australian control.
- Happy Lemon (25+ stores) — Taiwan’s Yummy-Town Group, but local rollout is through Chinese Australian operators.
- The Alley (15+ stores) — Master rights held by 🇨🇳🇦🇺Diamond Yang, Chinese Australian.
- Mixue (4 stores) — China-based giant, but its local stores are Chinese Australian-run branches.
🍣 Sushi: Rolls & Conveyor Belts
- Sushi Izu (Served in Woolworths nationwide) — Founded by Ryuji Ishii, Japanese Australian.
- Sushi Hub (200 outlets) — Built from scratch in Sydney by 🇨🇳🇦🇺Raymond Chen, James Chen, Leon Li, Chinese Australians.
- Sushi Sushi (170+ outlets) — Founded in Melbourne, now private equity-owned, with Anna Kasman, Indonesian-Chinese Australian, at the helm.
- Hero Sushi (50+ outlets) — Run by Deuk-Hee “William” Lee & Hokun “Robert” Hwang, Korean Australians.
- Sushi Train (49 outlets + 2 in NZ) — Classic conveyor belt format, founded by Bob Jones, Anglo-Australian.
- Sushi Jiro (30+ outlets) — Sushi-train brand acquired in 2022 by Anna Kasman, Indonesian-Chinese Australian.
