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A boba tea version of Starbucks - would you go there?

ravenvii

ravenvii

macrumors 604
Original poster
Mar 17, 2004
7,588
494
Melenkurion Skyweir
Imagine a Starbucks, but they don't just sell coffee, their specialty is the boba tea (or bubble tea, or tapioca tea) with all kinds of favors - from coffee and tea to smoothies and shakes.

Served in a Starbucks-like atmosphere, with small snacks and paper cups.

Would you go there? Frequent there?
 
Yes. I have only had boba tea maybe twice at The Tea Smith but would probably get it more often if they had more locations like Starbucks does. And they do need a little better atmosphere also........
 
Aren't there a lot of these shops? Go to the right areas, and you'll see plenty of them. They're not fancy like a Starbucks, but judging from what I've seen, I don't think the idea of a chain of these 'bubble tea' shops would take off. I've been to a fancy one before in Toronto, and it was full, but it was also far nicer than a Starbucks, and it was a hangout for people at night, where proper food was served.
 
Imagine a place where they sold bacon in a Starbucks-like setting...

Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
 
i've seen smaller chains of these pop up around here. some last, some don't. some downsize. it all depends on area, but what starbucks lucked out on is being able to bring something that was readily in the mind-set of people to a more 'convenient' place. its a lot of marketing really, sure its possible, but not easy and takes a lot of capital, work, and luck in the end.
 
is boba still around??? It seemed to crest right after cigar stores and seemed to be a vanishing fade several years ago
 
ravenvii said:
Imagine a Starbucks, but they don't just sell coffee, their specialty is the boba tea (or bubble tea, or tapioca tea) with all kinds of favors - from coffee and tea to smoothies and shakes.

Served in a Starbucks-like atmosphere, with small snacks and paper cups.

Would you go there? Frequent there?
Click to expand...

We've got such places out here in California:

http://www.tapiocaexpress.com/
 
I know they are popular a while ago in asia (taiwan, singapore etc) but have they ever caught on in America or Europe?
 
There's a chain in Australia called Easy Way. Funny thing is that they have almost all their branches in Sydney. There are dozens of them in Sydney, some in the same shopping mall, but they never bothered expanding outside the Sydney CBD. I wonder why? :confused:

Anyway, the safest thing to do would be to open a really trendy place with dark lighting that serves cheap finger-foods to go with the tea. If you've ever been to Japan, think "izakaya", but one that serves tea. Oh, and open it in an area with lots of Taiwanese and Chinese people. :)
 
I'd definitely go to a place like this!

Abstract said:
There's a chain in Australia called Easy Way. Funny thing is that they have almost all their branches in Sydney. There are dozens of them in Sydney, some in the same shopping mall, but they never bothered expanding outside the Sydney CBD. I wonder why? :confused:
Click to expand...

Same deal in Melbourne...the main chain is Bubble Cup and they're everywhere in the CBD and in a few of the bigger malls/shopping centers but that's about it.

I've really been missing tea since I moved to Canberra...there aren't any stores at all that sell it. If I had money I'd seriously consider opening one.
 
There is a chain of Bubble Tea stands here, I think they may just be called Bubble Tea actually. They sell tea's and smoothies... and they are actually really succcessful here, the stand is always busy and I think that if it was made into an actual place, with food and more menu items, it would sell really well. I would be interested in going to a place like that.
 
There is indeed many Boba Tea places here. I frequent one that is not just Boba but it's many other tea-related items called Tea Station. They have amazing chai tea with boba.
 
I love that stuff, so I would be interested in frequent it. But, unlike coffee, wouldn't be a daily thing.

Oh, and I hate Starsucks, so that atmosphere wouldn't do it for me ;)
 
I must be a deprived child. I've never heard of Tapioca milk tea. Sounds weird. I like Tapioca pudding (takes so stinkin' long to make it though) and heard of it used in other edible food items but not as a beverage. Sta-range.

Must try someday.
 
Abstract said:
Aren't there a lot of these shops? Go to the right areas, and you'll see plenty of them.
Click to expand...
Tons and tons. And quite a few chain stores, too. TapEx as previously mentioned, Tea Station, Fantasia (my place of choice), Q-Cup, the list goes on and on.

They're not fancy like a Starbucks...
Click to expand...
That really all depends. Some of the chains are fancier than others. :) Tea Station is pretty nice. Similar to Western coffee shops, if you choose "for here" you'll be served in actual glass/ceramic/ whatever cups, mugs, glassware instead of plastic or whatnot.

Some chains grow, some die out.

Great. Thanks a lot. Now I'm seriously craving some.

Oh yeah, and sometimes it's known as Pearl Milk Tea. :D Lotsa names.
 
i remember enjoying boba years ago, then it kinda faded. there are/were only three places in town. i don't think it has spread out of cosmopolitan areas/california too much.

boba is just not a "classic" american drink like coffee. you're gonna have a hard time convincing some americans that they want balls in their mouths
 
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