Do you like bubble tea, Milwaukee? Yes, you LOVE bubble tea. How can we tell? Because bubble tea places have been popping up like, well, bubbles lately, especially on the East Side. There’s Elite Boba MKE at 1956 N. Farwell Ave., across from Comet. There’s a new SereniTea location coming to the old Chancery space at 2575 N. Downer Ave. And now there’s Taichi Bubble Tea, a New York-based chain coming early next year to the old Hotel Foster/Globe East space at 2028 E. North Ave.
And wouldn’t you know it, the future Thaichi Bubble Tea is located a mere 132 steps from another bubble tea place, Tsaocaa. You know, that bubble tea place that opened this past summer at 2224 N. Farwell Ave. You know, in the old Pita Pit space between the Oriental Theatre and Landmark Lanes. You know, right around the corner from the future Thaichi Bubble Tea.
And yes, we counted the steps.
Current bubble tea place
Future bubble tea place around the corner
According to a license application, Thaichi Bubble Tea will also serve ramen, and is aiming for a January 8, 2024 opening. “Remove existing bar and build new prep area” is listed under intended changes to the space. Hours are listed as 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. on weekends.
The North Avenue space was formerly (and briefly) plant-based eatery Nice Times. Before that, it was Snack/Plant Boys (also briefly). However, the space is probably better known for the businesses that came before that, namely Hotel Foster and The Globe East. Plus there were those weird Live/Lava years, right? (A planned Vegas-inspired sports bar announced for the space earlier this year never came to fruition.)
So, to quote Kylo Ren: “MORE (bubble tea)! MORE (bubble tea)!” And yes, we’ll do a bubble tea version of our 2018 “throw a stone from one East Side poke place to another” video when it warms up.
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