NYC Is Debuting A Fast Food Restaurant Even Bigger Than McDonald's On A Street Famous For Shopping

Delighting fast food enthusiasts for decades, McDonald's is king in the United States and a global phenomenon. In fact, this familiar American burger chain is Asia's busiest restaurant at the Hong Kong Admiralty Station location. However, you might be surprised to learn that McDonald's is not the biggest fast food entity in the world. That honor goes to Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, a fast food chain founded and based in China. According to the Associated Press, Mixue Ice Cream & Tea has more than 45,000 stores. For reference, McDonald's website states that they have over 44,000. Foodies in New York will now be able to get a taste of Mixue Ice Cream & Tea's offerings as the chain is debuting its very first location in the U.S. on NYC's Canal Street.

This popular NY shopping destination is where you'll find street vendors selling replicas of designer bags and other accessories (haggling is a must). Not to mention that Canal Street, situated in Lower Manhattan, passes through Chinatown as well as one of America's best Little Italys. In other words, it's a bustling hub that's popular among both locals and tourists, which is likely to now only get busier with the addition of Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, which will be situated in Tribeca at 266 Canal Street. A day of shopping and a sweet treat; what could be better than that?

At the time of this writing, there is no official menu for Mixue Ice Cream & Tea's NYC location. Additionally, it's still unclear when the franchise will open this location. The space at 266 Canal Street is reportedly 2,100 square feet and situated at street level. According to The Mirror, the franchise signed on for a 10-year lease, so it'll likely be a fixture of New York City for quite some time.

Mixue Ice Cream & Tea may be categorized as a fast food chain, but it's not a place where you can order a meal. As the name suggests, its specialties are refreshments and dessert (although, if you're looking for somewhere to chow down near Canal Street, check out the 13 best spots in NYC's Chinatown). Mixue's offerings typically include iced teas infused with fruit, milk teas with boba, and soft serve, among other things. Nevertheless, Mixue Ice Cream & Tea's selection is not necessarily what makes it stand out; it's the prices. In countries like Singapore and China, most menu items cost less than $3. Notably, their ice cream cones are only $1.

Despite its renowned affordability, social media users have expressed doubts that these prices will be coming to New York. After all, the Big Apple is one of the most expensive cities in the world. "In Manhattan I can guarantee the ice cream will not be $1," wrote a user on Instagram. In a different post, an individual stated that they hoped, "... the prices won't be jacked up too much because of the cost of everything in NYC." Others expressed their excitement about Mixue Ice Cream & Tea's arrival, saying, "You don't understand, this is about to change everything. EVERYTHING."