First Bubbly Tea House to open in Des Moines, attracts students

Two weeks ago a new shop popped up in DogTown, Bubbly Tea House.

This is a shop specifically serving tea, rather than a coffee shop that includes tea. This is the only tea-specific shop within a five mile radius of Drake campus and the only bubble tea shop in the Des Moines area.

Bubble tea was developed in Taiwan and is very popular in Eastern Asia.

The drinks are tea-based that are mixed with fruit or tea/coffee flavors and often include tapioca balls or fruit jellies.

Sophomore April Xiao enjoys a close proximity to Bubbly.

“I like bubble tea because it is something reminds of home,” Xiao said. “I like the unique flavor of it and the texture of the bubbles. Before we had the the Bubbly Tea Shop, I had to go all the way to Ames to have a cup of bubble tea with my friends, but now it is just so convenient and awesome that we can have bubble tea with less than ten minutes walk.”

Ames is a 45 minute drive from Des Moines, so having to go to Ames each time one wants a cup of bubble tea is unrealistic for most students.

Since there is a lack of bubble tea shops in Des Moines, “Bubbly” will draw in customers who are looking for something besides coffee and milkshakes.

“Bubble tea is a great drink when you want a cold drink that isn’t ridiculously sweet like a milkshake,” sophomore Allison Canaday said. “There is a huge variety of flavors like fruit and coffee which is a nice change from the typical chocolate and vanilla.”

Canaday noticed how Des Moines has a lacking of bubble tea shops and says the absence is causing people to just rely on coffee, regular tea and milkshakes.

Due to the large selection and variety of bubble tea, “Bubbly” has a customizable menu that allows each customer to create a drink that aligns with their preferences.

Sophomore Grace Kercher had not tried bubble tea until visiting Bubbly.

“I got the ice cream matcha and it made my day so great,” Kercher said. “I’m glad I have this place to go to now to fuel my new addiction.” With this much variety, bubble tea appeals to almost all tea drinkers and even some non-tea drinkers.

When sophomore Lily Hull first tried bubble tea, she was confused by the amount of choices she could order.

After going to Bubbly, she can see a future of regularly visiting and trying many types of bubble tea.

“I love tea, so it was worth the confusion once I got to drink it,” Hull said. “It’s a cute little shop that I think will be a cool new place to hang out at. There are so many coffee shops around that it’s nice to have a shop devoted to tea instead.”

With the variety of drink shops now in DogTown, including Mars Café, Healthy Living Juice Bar and now Bubbly Tea Shop, Drake students now have many options for a spring study spot.