On April 7, 2026, the “2026 China Chain Catering Summit,” hosted by the China Chain Store & Franchise Association (CCFA), officially opened in Shanghai. Centered on the theme of “Exploring Certainties for the Next Five Years,” the summit serves as a high-level platform for aligning industry consensus and uncovering growth opportunities within the chain catering sector. To further promote high-quality industry development and identify innovative practices with demonstrable and replicable value, CCFA officially released the “2026 Chain Catering / New Tea Beverage Innovation Cases.”

TEDIA’s light-operation fresh beverage paradigm, empowering Five Guys stores with intelligent beverage preparation, was successfully selected as a “2026 CCFA Chain Catering Innovation Case.” This recognition provides a benchmark for implementing self-service beverage solutions in fast-casual dining scenarios, and represents a flagship application of TEDIA’s paradigm in supplementary beverage programs.

Five Guys: Driving New Growth in In-Store Beverage Programs with a Light-Operation Fresh Beverage Paradigm

I. Background of Innovation

As a benchmark American burger brand favored by younger consumers, Five Guys has consistently remained at the forefront of dining trends and innovation. In its ongoing effort to enhance customer experience, the brand has keenly identified the need to upgrade freshly prepared beverage services. Among its global markets, China has taken the lead by introducing self-service beverage solutions as a key innovation initiative.

To further strengthen brand innovation and elevate the customer dining experience, Five Guys selected the TEDIA MODEL-VC self-service beverage solution, with full deployment across five Shanghai stores scheduled for completion by mid-November.

Although the self-service beverage offering is not yet bundled into meal combos, it has already demonstrated stable sales performance based solely on existing in-store traffic. Sales of coffee and tea beverages continue to grow steadily, with noticeable increases during holidays.

Notably, Five Guys has positioned its self-service beverage offering as a key promotional highlight, actively communicating it across official online channels. This further reinforces its youthful and trend-driven brand image.

II. Solution

TEDIA provides more than just intelligent equipment for light fast-casual beverage service—it delivers a fully integrated solution that seamlessly connects intelligent equipment systems, premium ingredients, and customized beverage formulations.

At the ingredient level, TEDIA collaborates closely with leading suppliers possessing strong R&D capabilities, rigorously selecting tea leaves, coffee beans, and imported fruit concentrates to ensure authentic flavor and consistent quality.

Building on this high-quality ingredient foundation, TEDIA’s beverage R&D team closely tracks market trends and, based on brand positioning, customer profiles, and store characteristics, develops tailored beverage recipes and menus for each partner.

This customization is a co-creation process driven by deep market insights and close collaboration with brands: responds to specific brand requirements through targeted development and also proactively delivers forward-looking product concepts based on professional market analysis.

For example, TEDIA exclusively developed the “Pink Guava Lemon Tea” for Five Guys. Through precise ingredient ratios and iterative flavor optimization, the product achieves a refreshing balance of sweetness and acidity while maintaining strong visual appeal. Its translucent gradient pink color aligns perfectly with the brand’s youthful positioning and aesthetic preferences, earning widespread positive feedback upon launch.

III. Implementation Results and Value

Lower Barriers Through Detail Optimization, Improved Service Efficiency

To better align the self-service model with user habits, TEDIA continuously refined the user experience through detailed optimizations across both operational flow and equipment design:

Hanging-cup dispensing design to prevent spillage caused by cup tilting

Raised equipment base, making the QR scanning area more visible and ergonomically aligned with customer sightlines

Optimized visual guidance, enabling first-time users to easily complete the self-service process

These improvements effectively reduce the barrier to use, making the self-service beverage experience not only functional, but intuitive and user-friendly.

In a Five Guys store, a customer simply scans their receipt at the TEDIA MODEL-VC unit, and within less than 10 seconds, a freshly made iced guava lemon tea is dispensed.

This scenario is set to become increasingly common across fast-food outlets and convenience stores. This case also provides a clear innovation pathway for the fast-casual dining industry: By leveraging TEDIA’s light-operation fresh beverage paradigm, existing foot traffic, space, and brand trust can be transformed into new sources of profit growth.

As TEDIA’s self-service beverage solutions continue to be deployed across more locations, the company will further drive the transition of freshly prepared beverage services from manual-driven operations to intelligent system-driven operations. This transformation will ultimately redefine the standard of beverage service in fast-casual dining scenarios.