What Is Mixue Bingcheng? Fascinating History & Ultimate Guide (2026)
Mixue Bingcheng (蜜雪冰城) is the full Chinese name of Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, a budget ice cream and tea chain founded in 1997 in Zhengzhou, China. The name means “honey snow ice city,” and the brand is run by Mixue Group, which is listed in Hong Kong. By store count it is the largest food and drink chain in the world, with about 64,000 stores in 17 countries as of June 30, 2026. Americans first met the brand in December 2025, when its first U.S. store opened in Hollywood, followed within days by shops in New York City. This guide explains the name, the pronunciation, the history and where the brand stands in the United States today.
For complete menu details and specific information, visit the Mixue USA Menu page, Mixue NYC Menu page, or Mixue Los Angeles Menu Mixue Malaysia Menu page.
What Is Mixue Bingcheng?
Mixue and its longer Chinese name are the same brand. “Mixue” is the short form used on most international signs and menus, while the full name keeps the Chinese original. The company sells soft-serve ice cream, fruit tea, milk tea, boba, lemonade and coffee, and it is known mainly for low prices.
Mixue Bingcheng at a Glance
| Detail | Answer |
|---|---|
| Brand Name | Mixue Ice Cream & Tea |
| Chinese Name | 蜜雪冰城 (Mìxuě Bīngchéng) |
| Founded | June 1997 |
| Founded In | Zhengzhou, Henan, China |
| Founder | Zhang Hongchao |
| Parent Company | Mixue Group |
| Stock Code | Hong Kong 2097 |
| Store Network | About 64,000 stores in 17 countries |
| Business Model | Mostly franchised |
| Mascot | Snow King |
| First U.S. Store | Hollywood, Los Angeles |
| U.S. Launch | December 19, 2025 |
Prices are part of the story. At the U.S. launch, trade press reported a soft-serve cone at $1.19, iced lemonade at $1.99 and bubble tea from $3.99, with most items under $5. Prices change by store and season, so see the current Mixue menu and prices in the USA for up-to-date numbers.
Mixue Bingcheng Meaning: What the Chinese Name Says
The Chinese name is made of four characters, and each one has a simple meaning.
| Chinese Character | Pinyin | English Meaning | Simple Idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蜜 | mì | Honey | Sweetness |
| 雪 | xuě | Snow | Cold & refreshing |
| 冰 | bīng | Ice | Frozen treats |
| 城 | chéng | City | City |
Mixue Bingcheng (蜜雪冰城) literally translates to “honey snow ice city.”
Read together, the name translates as “honey snow ice city”
Some English sources use a looser version, “sweet snow palace,” but “city” is the literal meaning of the last character. One easy way to read it is “honey” for sweetness and “snow” and “ice” for the cold desserts the business started with. That reading is our own interpretation, not an official explanation.
How to Pronounce Mixue Bingcheng
The short answer is “mee-shweh bing-chuhng.” Wikipedia’s pronunciation guide gives “mee-shweh” for the first word. English speakers often read it as “mix-you,” but the Mandarin sound is closer to “mee-shweh.” Say the first word quickly and the second with a short, flat “chuhng.”
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Mixue Bingcheng History: From a Student Stall to a Global Chain
Our History
MIXUE’s journey with Snow King 🍦
Founder Hongchao Zhang started his own business and began his entrepreneurial journey.
The first store named MIXUE was born.
Launched our first fresh ice cream.
The first ice cream shop sparked a chain reaction of franchising.
MIXUE passed the franchising registration of the Ministry of Commerce.
A factory was established to produce essential raw materials in-house.
Going global! MIXUE opened its first overseas store.
Upgraded VI system, launched a popular product and hosted the vibrant MIXUE Music Festival.
MIXUE’s theme song gained popularity, driving a global store volume upgrade.
MIXUE expanded further into overseas territory with a new store in Malaysia.
| Year | What Happened |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Zhang Hongchao opens a shaved-ice stall in Zhengzhou. |
| 1999 | A second stand opens under the Mixue name, 蜜雪冰城. |
| 2003 | The first lasting store opens after six relocations. |
| 2005–2006 | One-yuan soft serve becomes a signature bestseller. |
| 2007–2008 | Mixue begins franchising. |
| 2018 | First overseas store opens in Hanoi, Vietnam; Snow King debuts. |
| 2020 | The 10,000th store opens; Mixue enters Indonesia. |
| 2022 | Expansion continues across Southeast Asia, South Korea and Japan. |
| 2023 | First Australia store opens in Sydney. |
| 2025 | Mixue Group lists in Hong Kong; first U.S. store opens. |
| 2026 | About 64,000 stores are reported across 17 countries. |
With its sweet, dessert-style profile, the Boba Sundae is a satisfying choice for customers who enjoy rich flavours and a more indulgent ice-cream treat.
Who Owns the Brand Today?
Mixue Group owns the brand. It listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on March 3, 2025, raising about HK$3.45 billion (roughly US$444 million), and the shares rose sharply on the first day. Zhang Hongchao is chairman and Zhang Hongfu is chief executive. Business outlets such as Forbes describe the two as brothers.
Snow King and the Theme Song
Snow King, the brand’s snowman mascot, debuted in November 2018. He now appears on stores, cups and promotions in many countries. The brand’s theme tune has also traveled well: Mixue’s official site says it has passed 9.5 billion views across social media, with fans posting versions in dozens of languages.
The World of Chinese notes that the jingle is based on the American folk song “Oh! Susanna. We do not reprint the lyrics because they are copyrighted. A friendly mascot and a catchy tune are a simple way for a low-price brand to stay memorable, which is our own reading rather than a company statement.
How Mixue Became the World’s Largest Chain
Mixue is the largest chain by **number of stores**, not by sales. Most stores are run by franchisees, and the company earns more from supplying ingredients, packaging and equipment than from franchise fees . Mixue’s official site says it runs five production bases covering about 670,000 square meters, with a yearly ingredient output of 1.43 million tons as of the third quarter of 2023. That control over supply is a major reason prices can stay low.
The numbers keep moving. At the end of 2025, Mixue Group reported 59,823 stores, with 55,356 in mainland China and 4,467 outside it. That group total includes sister brands such as Lucky Cup coffee and Fulujia draft beer, so it is not a count of Mixue-branded shops alone. By June 30, 2026, the group reported about 64,000 stores across 17 countries.
Growth is not a straight line. In the first half of 2026, reports say overseas store numbers fell by 89, mostly in Vietnam and Indonesia, and net profit dropped about 15% to 2.32 billion yuan. The company described the changes as a move toward healthier long-term operations.
Mixue by Store Count
| Chain | Approximate Stores | Date / Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mixue Group | About 64,000 | June 30, 2026 |
| McDonald’s | Roughly 41,800 | March 2026 |
| Starbucks | Over 40,000 | March 2026 |
Important: Store count measures size, not revenue or profit. Treat the McDonald’s and Starbucks figures as approximate, because each company reports on its own schedule.
Mixue Bingcheng in the USA
The first U.S. store opened on December 19, 2025, at 6922 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles . Two New York City stores followed within days, in Herald Square and Hell’s Kitchen. Early reviews noted the low prices and that some items sold out.
The U.S. network is still small. One review published in March 2026 counted four U.S. locations. In September 2026, a company press release said Mixue had launched six seasonal U.S. items, including Green Lemon Tea and Green Lemonade, and plans more stores and menu updates. We could not find a verified current U.S. store count, so check Mixue’s official U.S. Instagram account (@mixue.us) before you plan a visit. If you avoid dairy, ask staff before ordering: the Vegetarian Resource Group reported in June 2026 that, apart from a few fruit and tea drinks, the U.S. menu items it checked contain dairy.
Ready to order? Start with the current Mixue menu and prices in the USA, then check Mixue locations in New York or Mixue locations in Los Angele
