Part 1 ~ Real Owner Interview: Opening a Boba Tea Shop 

I'm planning on opening up a tea shop where I'm considering bubble tea options along with it. I looking for guidance on what is needed for bubble tea( more like a full list).

@@bluesapphire2219that's great news! On behalf of all the other shop owners who watch my channel, we wish you massive success 🏆🙏🏼 Each shop's list will be completely different. A Bubble Tea business isn't one-size fits all. There are so many variables. When I do interviews with other shop owners, even their equipment and materials used are different. I have a website www.BubbleTeaExpert.com I share that with you because if you're needing any support or mentoring along the way, I offer this. There are also recipe packets, business documents, etc. Including a full shop set-up package too. There we discuss what is needed for your own shop. So if/when you're ready, feel free to check it out. All the best 😎

@@BubbleTeaKristin thank you for replying back. I will definitely look into x

Thank you for your positive feedback! 👍🏼 Glad you've found them useful ☺️ I'll plan on making more in the future.

Exactly.

Hey Cristal 👋🏼 You're welcome. That's so kind Thank You!😇 Congratulations on taking the first step! I wish you all the best in your boba tea business! 🤩

Hey Naila, Yay! So glad you found the information in the video valuable & inspirational. 😇

How do you go about finding vendors for your supplies??

Thank you Mohamed 😇🥰👍🏻😁

Yay!!! So excited for you 😁 I'm sure you probably already saw, but I have a few different Playlists on my YT channel with videos geared towards future business owners. Hope they help. 🥰

Hey Amm Mee 👋🏼 I'm glad you found it too 😁😎🧋 You're very welcome! And thank you for the kind words 😇

You're so welcome Evelyn 😍

Thanks 👍🏻

Hi Jennifer. Thank you for joining in the bubble tea community here on my channel.😇 Your question is probably a 15-minute explanation video within itself! 😅 So it's not an easy one to answer here either. There's so many variables, not only as a question, but as an individual case by case too. I think it's good to research everything as much as you can from every angle and make an educated decision from all the knowledge you gathered that works best for you personally. If you ever want to have a mentoring session where we dive into it in further detail and talk about areas you might have missed, feel free to book it through my website: www.BubbleTeaExpert.com All the best to you!

You're welcome Keni 😁

Thank you kindly! Yep, lower music level... Note taken. This video was an experiment with the music volume and unfortunately it was too high depending on which device it's being listened to on. 😅 I prefer to keep it at a minimum. 👍🏻

🙏🏼😇😍

You're welcome ☺️

Awesome! Glad you gained a lot of value from it! 😎

You got it 👍🏼🙏🏼😎

Well said!

Hey Lina 😍 Thanks for the feedback. I'll keep that in mind for future interviews 😉 So glad you got alot of value from it 🥰

It's so good! 😍

Ikr 😊

Awesome Rooh! Thanks so much! All the best to you 🧋

Hey Anndei, Thank you for your kind comment! I hope you find the rest of the videos in this playlist series helpful too! 😇 If you're planning to do a rotation of 'limited edition' and 'seasonal', then simply having 5-fruit teas, 5-milk teas, and 5-mocktails will work best for your small until. Keep things simple... But offer the limited edition stuff... A cool looking print out so when people come up they know, social media push, etc. There's a lot of possibilities, but best to start out simple and then work your way more advanced. You don't want to confuse you, your staff, or you are customers in the beginning, but they'll learn over time. 🥰🤩😍 P.s. feel free to check out my website for more recipes and info: www.BubbleTeaExpert.com

Hi Omar! Thanks for watching and the kind compliment :) I don't have any brand in particular that I know is 100% amazing... I always recommend finding a product through a reputable long-standing company... and if you're able to, make sure it is covered under a 1-5 years warranty. (make sure you register it too right away). Out of curiosity, which country are you located? P.s. this might sound weird, but cheaper equipment you can buy cheap! 😂 Keep any that breakdown and save them... and then get an electrician or repair man fix them once a year. Then you're never out of that machine and always have backups!

😍 Thank you! 😃

Thanks ☺️ Glad you feel this way! Here's the link to the different documentation packets: www.bubbleteaexpert.com/bubble-tea-recipes

Hello Arellys - 🤣 I talk past tense because I sold up my brick and mortars and brand during the lock downs back in 2020. I'm totally digital now and mentor people who want to open their own shops around the world. 🥰

👍🏼 Well, personally I had Bubble Tea the first time back in the year 2000... I've never had a different drink in the US since that tasted as good: Soda, shakes, soft drinks, etc. There's something very unique about the flavors of Boba drinks and tapioca pearls to me, and I guess the rest of the country thinks so too 😇🤣❤️

Great suggestion. I've added it to my notes for future video question ideas. I think that many clients of mine actually bought my recipes packet from my website, bought the needed supplies, and practiced for a week before opening. They already had the recipes they got from me, and watched all my instruction videos on RU-vid, and opened up shop.😁

There are different styles of drinks suited for different peoples preferences. But you may need to make your drink at home using specific ingredients, as each bubble tea shop uses completely different products and ingredients are unreliable 😞.

Hello Emily, Here's my playlist for how to make the majority of drinks and teas and such in a shop setting. ~Boba Shop Instructional Basic Recipes~ by Bubble Tea Kristin: ru-vid.com/group/PLK7g_t77IW0KE9rS06xTcHRWRh4EgBKVT I have other useful ones too you can find by searching playlists on my channel. As for actual training locations, I don't personally offer that anymore... But I hear that a lot of bubble tea suppliers in Taiwan have hands-on training sessions you can book... Or alternatively there's bubble tea suppliers I think in America, where you do a down payment on supplies and they offer hands on training. Hope this helps. Lastly, if you'd like one-on-one mentoring with me regarding the other side of owning a bubble tea shop such as helping you decide on shop layouts, the best equipment to buy, recipes, understanding that side of things etc, feel free to email me through my website 👍🏻 www.BubbleTeaExpert.com

@@BubbleTeaKristin Understood, thank you so much! I'll definitely check these out.

Hi Rosy, So happy you're enjoying my series of videos with bubble tea shop owners 😍 I have more coming out within the next month! So which country are you located? And when you say provider, you mean supplies for making the drinks? 😇

I live in the USA 🇺🇸 but I want to bring it to out of country like Honduras 🇭🇳

@@rosyhdz341 Hi 🤗 Sounds fun! I would recommend watching part 1 of the interview that I did with a bubble tea shop located in Costa Rica. (It's on the same playlist) Andrew from Bubbly Tea Club spoke a lot about setting up their own import company from Taiwan, as they were the only ones selling bubble tea in the country at the time. You'll either need to do similar to them, or because they are also in Central America perhaps you could connect with them and purchase their products, instead of having to set up your own import company yourself. Just an idea 💡😉

Hello 👋🏼 Well, it's a very diverse answer because it would depend on which country, region, city, area, etc. For example, in some countries they could set up a small kiosk for under $1,000... but in more developed countries for an actual unit, just the outfit will run $30k minimum, in additional to all the start up costs, etc. Onwards and upwards of $50k to 100k easily. That's mom and pop style... doesn't include franchise. 😬

Hi Eve, I'd reached out to Yamille to see if she has any information about this to better help you. If not, I'll see what I can find.

Who, you? 😂

@@BubbleTeaKristin oops sorry if i have offended you. But i think your comment is a bit rude. So sorry x

@@aimeeaa599 you didn't offend me. Yes I travel to & train people in Taiwan, what is your question?

Lol right what exactly is your question ? I’m confused too

​@@BubbleTeaKristinif Boba originated in Taiwan, what did they need help with that you specialize in?

Thank you for watching! So happy to know that this video is helpful to you and many other viewers.

😍

😍

Hi Emy👋🏼 That's great! What country are you located?

@@BubbleTeaKristin Murrieta, California

@@Jacobkapela oh that's great! Very easy then. It's just that some countries have a really difficult time for import, but you've got loads of options. I got mine from a middle man on eBay around $100-200 each machine. They lasted about 1-2 years each. I'd save the broken ones in the shed, and once a year when the electrician came by for the shop, he'd repair them all at the same time. Usually just needed a quick rewire or a wire came loose, etc. But if you don't want to go the money saving route, then buy through a website or company which will offer you coverage or the ability for an exchange. Because I don't know of any brand of shaker machine that's used non-stop which will last for more than a couple years without something going on. You'll pay more up front, but with a guarantee of it lasting longer. So weigh up the cost of going cheaper vs buying more expensive but with a warranty. Hope that makes sense. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 Good luck with your shop opening 😎😁🙏🏼

@@BubbleTeaKristin Thank you ❤️

Hello 👋🏼 You're very welcome! Thank you for watching. Ice is complicated and it comes down to personal preference. 🤣 Here's some notes I'll leave with you... Things to Consider for Ice Machine: -Height (under counter vs just above counter height) Best to get a larger one and use the height as a second counter to store Nespresso Machine, Lids for Shakers, etc. -Style of Ice Cubes 1-2” are best for shaking traditional bubble teas Pellets are best for slushy or blended up drinks -Air Cooled vs Water Cooled system -Volume For an average to busy shop location: 250 pounds turn out a day! (approx 100kg)

@@BubbleTeaKristin Thank you so much

​@@BubbleTeaKristin Do you recommend a water cooled ice maker for a small shop where the ice machine will be at the counter? We just purchased an air cooled one but it makes super loud noise.. impossible to bear! is that usually the case with these machines? Thank you again for your time :)

@@nouhailamalid887 Hey 👋🏼Great Question! Here's a useful website I always refer to for info about the two: www.easyice.com/difference-between-air-cooled-and-water-cooled-ice-machines/ This website features the pro and cons of each!!! Very helpful. :) "Air cooled ice machines work best in clean, temperature-controlled environments. When used in hot environments, the already warm air passing over the condenser coils will not remove as much heat as cooler air, thus slowing down the rate at which the machine can produce ice. Put in a enclosed space with limited ventilation around the ice machine, the recirculating hot air gets hotter and hotter until the machine shuts itself off due to heat overload. Regularly running an air-cooled ice machine in a warm environment can lead to an overworked unit and reduced life of the machine." "When examining the difference between air-cooled and water-cooled ice machines, water-cooled machines are the hands-down choice if you have a recirculating water system. They require less maintenance, are less subject to variations in air temperature and cleanliness, and typically use 10% less energy than a similarly sized air-cooled machine."

It was quite large actually. Here's part two where we do a bit of a walk through ☺️ ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FnsPAZ1OIKc.html

Hey Rob! Thanks for your support ☺️ So, it's a tricky one... Coffee creamer has a very 'coffee creamer' taste to it. 🤣 Whereas bubble tea shop creamer is very creamy, but without any flavor. For an experiment, which I've done, If you take 2 tablespoons of coffee creamer and mix it with 50 ml of water and try it, it is very creamy feeling but it doesn't really have an overpowering flavor of anything. But alternatively if you take two tablespoons of coffee mate creamer for example and mix it up with 50 ml of hot water, it actually tastes like what you would expect coffee creamer to taste like. It's difficult to explain, but coffee creamer tends to be a little sweeter, it has a very distinct smell to it, and it has a creamy flavor. Whereas the bubble tea creamer is very creamy but it has almost no flavor at all. Even more strange part is the comparison of when you mix bubble tea creamer with a different flavored powder, not only does it make the drink feel really creamy, but it enhances the flavor of the flavored bubble tea powder. Whereas if you put coffee mate coffee creamer in with bubble tea powder trying to make a drink, the coffee creamer flavor is so overpowering that it really makes the bubble tea not taste very good at all in my opinion. One time we almost ran out of the bubble tea creamer powder, and my staff said that they could go buy some coffee creamer. But I said no 🤣 I think using half and half in that case or in the UK, a very very thick milk cream, is a way better option than using a coffee creamer powder. 🤣 I know that is a very long explanation but hopefully if someone else reads it they will also be able to understand the difference too 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

@@BubbleTeaKristin wow thank you so much ! I didn’t think there was that much difference but thank you!

I ran out of creamer for my teas on my second day of business, and had to resort to coffee creamer. Of course I would test taste before offering it to my customers. OMG, it is not the same. I threw away the whole bag and resorted to a blend of milk, whipped creamer and half and half to keep the flair profile close until I could recover. Expensive mistake.

@@joejorgensen2 yep 🤣😅😂😭

Not in the UK. But I would recommend some sort of air extraction because the tapioca creates a lot of steam when cooking.

@@BubbleTeaKristin do you happen to know if we need it, am thinking of opening in Hollywood Florida USA Thank you.

A lot. 🥺 A good place to start is by watching my playlist where I interview loads of different shop owners and people that I've mentored around the world. 😇

All the best to you 😁👍🏼🤩

😂🤣😂🤣 Lemme know how that goes 😜

Ya keep us posted. I'm curious. I'm in beginning phases of opening boba shop

@@1stdayofwinter so I found out it is 150 pound machine which is better than I thought. As I conclude my 10th day of operation I can tell you that this little hoshizaki has kept pace. On our second day of business my AC died decided to quit mid day which chained into my ice machine telling me in uncertain terms that it must be princessed in an air controlled environment and went on strike. 2 days later AC fixed and although we have gotten down to final 20 or so pounds of ice on one occasion, she has kept up. Oh and Eve be prepared for everything to go wrong. My credit card processing failed after third transaction and I quickly ran out of milk tea creamer and oh so much more. I honestly just today got back to 100% stocked and no longer have to tell customers we’re out of this or that.

@@joejorgensen2 🤣😅😂😭 I'm guessing your ice machine is air cooled vs. water cooled then 🤷🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ I had a similar situation occur once. Thanks for sharing!

Hi, from California. Enjoyed your video. Did you find your shop location first or run your paperwork first ?

Hello Nkauj, If you look through different bubble tea supplier websites, you'll find different types of boba drink syrups available to purchase for a shop. Each brand varies in flavor and viscosity... and each brand will sell their own matching syrup pumps too. It takes time and experimentation to create your own secret recipes. But it's worth it and very fun!