108 articles
Business
Jollibee’s bubble tea brand expands to California, New York, Texas
Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), the Philippines-based company behind fast food chain Jollibee, revealed in a recent Philippine Stock Excha...
Ryan General
China
Chinese athlete goes viral for drinking ‘boba sea’
Zhang Guowei, a former Chinese high jumper, has gone viral for drinking boba from a large water container while riding public transportation...
Bryan Ke
Starbucks is releasing boba-like ‘Pearls’ and not everyone is happy about it
Starbucks is adding a twist to its summer menu with “Pearls” — apparently its own version of boba — but some have already made up their mind...
Editorial Staff
Chinese bubble tea chain ChaPanda sinks in Hong Kong trading debut
Shares of China’s Sichuan Baicha Baidao, also known as ChaPanda, saw a steep decline in its debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange despite ra...
Carl Samson
Bay Area
Sacramento’s AAPI Night Market to return in May with headliner Tokimonsta
Sacramento is set to hold its third AAPI (Asian American/Pacific Islander) Night Market in May. Key points: ...
Food
Joe Biden drinks boba tea at stop on 2024 presidential campaign
President Joe Biden was filmed enjoying a bubble tea as part of his 2024 presidential campaign strategy, eschewing large rallies for intimat...
Michelle De Pacina
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf unveils its first boba drink
For the first time since the bubble tea craze hit the U.S., The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has released a boba drink as part of a new tea co...
Boba fuels OpenAI execs on long day of Sam Altman talks
More than a dozen cups of boba reportedly kept leaders at OpenAI going as discussions over the fate of ousted chief executive Sam Altman dra...
Community rallies to help keep Pennsylvania boba tea shop open
After facing imminent closure, an Asian-run boba tea shop in State College, Pennsylvania, is keeping its doors open thanks to the power of c...
Asians call out Portland brand ‘Better Boba’ for alleged whitewashing
A packaged boba business based in Portland, Oregon, has sparked outrage on Instagram for its alleged whitewashing of tapioca pearls. Driving...
Boba Guys employees become first California boba shop workers to unionize
“We have always believed in the right to organize and have cooperated with CRRWU and the NLRB throughout the entire process,” said Boba Guys...
Boba cakes: Now you can have your boba and eat it too
As boba drinks have risen in ubiquity, businesses are bringing a new boba-inspired treat to the culinary stage: boba cakes. Drinkable boba c...
Canada
Canada’s biggest bubble tea festival returns this weekend
If you’re a boba fan in or near Metro Vancouver, mark your calendar — Canada’s biggest bubble tea festival is making a comeback this weekend...
Jack in the Box now offering boba tea in 3 Southern California cities
The fast-food chain restaurant Jack in the Box is currently offering three flavors of boba tea for a limited time in selected locations in...
Crime
San Francisco Chinatown boba shop burglarized twice in one night
A bubble tea shop in San Francisco’s Chinatown was burglarized twice in one night. Surveillance footage from Thursday shows a woman walking ...
Singapore
TikTok user outsmarts $1 bubble tea chain promo
A TikTok user recently took advantage of a bring-your-own-cup promo at a bubble tea shop by bringing a giant wine glass. On Sunday, TikTok u...
Art
Google Doodle celebrates bubble tea with interactive game
Google is celebrating the third anniversary of the launch of the bubble tea emoji with a new interactive Doodle that’s also an adorable mini...
Boba Guys permanently closes original San Francisco store following controversy
Tea chain Boba Guys has permanently closed its original San Francisco store months after employees accused management of recording illegal ...
Iris Jung
Durian Milk Tea protein powder turns the fruit’s pungent power into gains
Adventurous fitness enthusiasts and boba fans alike can now add Durian Milk Tea flavor protein powder to their post-workout routine. Far E...
Chandler Treon
San Francisco Boba Guys accused by workers of illegally recording audio of employees and customers
San Francisco tea chain Boba Guys has been accused of recording audio of both employees and customers at its store in the Mission district....
Could a $1 bubble tea brand from China be poised to take over the world?
Mixue Bingcheng Co. Ltd. (MXBC), a Chinese ice cream and tea franchise, tops China’s market with its $1 bubble teas. MXBC, which is repres...
Gong Cha, Heinz launch ketchup-flavored ‘boba’ in Singapore
Gong Cha Singapore has teamed up with Heinz to introduce ketchup-flavored “boba.” The tomato drinks – which are served without pearls – ar...
Jamba Juice adds boba options to menu for ‘extra burst of flavor’
For a limited time starting on Sept. 6, customers will be able to customize their Jamba Juice smoothies, bowls and iced beverages with “Str...
News
Woman accidentally crashes her car through boba shop in Washington
Two women and a toddler were sitting at a table in Melody Boba House in Washington on Monday when a car came crashing through the windows c...
Gong Cha names former Five Guys chief as new global CEO
International bubble tea chain Gong Cha has named former Five Guys CEO Paul Reynish as its new global CEO, replacing Gong Cha Group founder...
Milk tea brand in China recalled for looking too similar to laundry detergent
A milk tea brand in China was recalled after customers complained that its packaging looks alarmingly similar to laundry detergent bottles....
Rebecca Moon
Milk tea eggs: New York City boba shops are helping fuel new viral drink trend
Boba chains in New York City are selling boba drinks in limited-edition egg-shaped containers. I’Milky, founded originally as Mu Bai in Taiw...
Celine Pun
San Francisco boba shop served as front for global car burglary ring, DA Boudin reveals
A Quickly Boba Tea Cafe in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood served as a storage site for an international fencing ring, according to...
‘Really delicious’: Bubble tea chain offers up boba tteokbokki drink for April Fool’s
“Pearl-Bokki” was featured as a limited edition item on Taiwanese boba chain The Alley’s April Fools’ menu sold at three South Korean locat...
Viral TikTok reveals Starbucks U.S. is testing out ‘coffee popping pearls’
Starbucks confirmed they are testing a new product called “coffee popping pearls” at two franchises in California and Washington state. Un...
Sarah Yukiko
Media
Debunked: Viral social media post claims goat feces used in bubble tea in China
A viral post claiming that bubble tea is made with goat feces has been debunked. Fake boba news: An image of a goat defecating into a bubble...
Videos
Video: Angry customer douses two men with boba drink because they could not deliver it to her doorstep
An enraged Chinese woman threw bubble tea onto a delivery man and security guard when they could not bring the drink directly to her apartme...
Asia
World’s first boba gaming desktop is coming thanks to Singapore
Singaporean company Aftershock PC has created the world’s first boba-themed gaming desktop, and it is weirdly mouthwatering. The first in th...
Boba Fans Face Massive Tapioca Shortage in US
The U.S. is seeing a massive shortage of boba — or bubble tea — as tapioca starch shipments from overseas are delayed due to the recent ship...
Community and City Councilmember Come Together to Defend Boba Shop
Past patrons, social media users and a city councilmember have come together in support of a family-owned business after becoming the target...
Nurse Jailed for Breaking Quarantine to Get Bubble Tea in Singapore
A nurse in Singapore is now behind bars after violating a home quarantine order multiple times that included leaving to buy some boba. Nurul...
Don’t miss out on the latest news by signing up for Sharkbites.