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As one of the OGs of bubble tea, we maintain uncompromisingly high standards. Here at Kung Fu Tea, we believe that it’s our mission to not only continuously improve our brand and beverages and the lives of our customers through providing only the most delicious, high-quality flavors but also to inspire the community to dream big and live fearlessly. Join us in elevating the world of made-to-order beverages and challenging the face of the beverage industry through fresh, innovative, and fearless efforts. Kawaii Boba House, a boba tea chain with locations in Little Rock’s Heights neighborhood, Hot Springs and Conway, closed all four of its stores last week without warning its employees or paying them for their final two weeks of work. The Tapioca Express bubble tea franchise was the first chain to introduce the tapioca (boba) drink to North American consumers.
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The main focus at this San Francisco original is a healthier approach to tea across the board. That means house-made syrups and lots of loose leaf options to encourage mindful consumption. But, when it comes to the main attraction, the boba tea is just as much a dynamo as any other sugary competitor; try the shop’s signature Creme Brulee Boba for $6.95.
At Kawaii Boba Teahouse, we love everything cute and delicious.
Now we learn that the opening was pushed back – to 10 a.m today. The first 100 guests today will earn a golden ticket, which is redeemable for free cheese fries for a full year. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to support former employees as they search for new jobs.
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Rachel Pruiett, a former employee of the Hot Springs store, said she started working there on June 9 and had been promoted to a management position just days before the stores closed. Join us in our mission to elevate Arkansas's environment and agriculture coverage by supporting the funding of our new reporter desk. Your contribution will enable us to continue delivering high-quality journalism that serves our community. With your help, we can expand our coverage and shed light on important stories that matter. Donate today and be a part of our efforts to make a difference. Employees of the small chain have said their final paychecks bounced and the owner, Zhen Lei Cao (who also goes by “Paul Grass” or “Paul Cao”), is not responding to their attempts to contact him, KATV reported on Monday.

Bubble Tea Store Near Me in Conway, AR

We’re seeking comments from former workers or anyone else with knowledge of what’s happened with the business. Included in KATV’s report is an interview with one of the store’s investors and a former classmate of Cao, Ashley Shi, the owner of downtown Little Rock’s Cha Cha Boba Tea Shoppe (404 E. 3rd St.). Shi said she and her mother combined funds to loan Cao $6,000 to help with his financial struggles. Shi told KATV that Cao recently wired her $2,000 to cover a bounced check he had sent her but he’s since ceased communications. Construction, delayed by the permitting process, started about two weeks ago; the plumbing is complete and so far the new bar has been framed in and workers will, if they have not already, soon be installing sheetrock.
Founded 1974, the Arkansas Times is a lively, opinionated source for news, politics & culture in Arkansas. Our monthly magazine is free at over 500 locations in Central Arkansas. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Our previous report on the opening of Arkansas' first Beef-A-Roo outlet, 1111 U.S. 62 North, Harrison, mentioned the target opening date was to have been July 13, which was accurate at the time.
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"It was an opportunity where the anime scene, the Japan-lover scene, could congregate at a location...to me, it felt like a space where I could see my artwork in there one day," said Aliké Chambers, a local graphic designer and a loyal patron of Kawaii Boba House. Last Thursday, employees at the Little Rock location were ordered, by phone, to close the tea shop early. Make your event a local attraction with signature boba flavors and seasonal drinks. We offer the Tea Traveler, Pre-Sealed Option, and On-Site Catering. We firmly believe in the power of a cup of your favorite tea to bring joy and happiness. Whether you've endured a challenging day or simply desire a rejuvenating beverage, trust in us to deliver joy, one Teaspoon at a time.
RESTAURANT TRANSITIONS: Is dim sum destined for west Little Rock spot? - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
RESTAURANT TRANSITIONS: Is dim sum destined for west Little Rock spot?.
Posted: Thu, 02 Feb 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Through email, Benson and an unidentified person discussed the arrangement, she said. She said her hours were cut, leaving her scheduled with no shifts one week. After many other employees resigned, she said the stress started getting to her. Janae Maxwell, a former employee who started working for the company when the Hot Springs location first opened around December 2022, said she also loved her job at first. KATV reports that some of the employees are seeking legal action.
Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea
It isn't only employees and customers that have been left out in the cold, but investors as well. Ashley Shi, the owner of Little Rock's Cha Cha Boba Tea Shoppe, loaned $6000 (her mother chipping in as well) to Cao after he repeatedly asked for her help, citing financial struggles. Local artists displayed and sold their work inside the tea shops, and students often gathered there.
Anything from peppermint to macadamia nut to pumpkin spice to tangerine to chocolate cookie dough is on the menu. An Instagram post claiming to come from former employees said the stores were shut down with no prior notice to the employees, leaving them unexpectedly jobless and owed pay. The post claims the owner, Zhen Lei Cao, who goes by the English name Paul Grass, did not answer employees' inquiries about getting the last two weeks of pay they were owed. It's Boba Time franchise uses only fresh and high-quality ingredients to prepare foods and drinks. It is a profitable business opportunity for ambitious entrepreneurs interested in operating in a popular and thriving industry. Each store generates rather sizable revenue, and therefore franchisee’s income can be high.
Several former employees of Kawaii Boba House are seeking legal action.
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — An Arkansas boba tea business has closed all four locations without warning, and the owner still has not paid employees for their last weeks of work. With stores flourishing in over 50 areas & territories in 6 continents, Chatime is now considered the world’s largest Taiwanese bubble tea brand. Since its opening, the brand has expanded not just in Asia but also in Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States. Since 2005, Chatime has been serving millions of customers with their favorite cup of tea, making it part of every occasion, celebration or simply cupping a busy day at work.
Adding insult to injury, the 33 former employees of Kawaii Boba House say their final paychecks bounced. The owner, Zhen Lei Cao, who goes by the English name Paul Grass or Paul Cao, has not responded to their attempts to contact him and seems to have simply abandoned them. "When we went to the store to open, because presumably we had a job that day...all the iPads were gone, all the cash registers were gone, all the money," said Zach, a shift leader at Little Rock's Kawaii Boba House. "We were super happy, we had a great community, everybody was super nice. And then to find out that the ship was slowly sinking and then completely bottomed out...everything crumbled within a few hours," said April Ruelle, the general manager of Kawaii Boba House's Little Rock location. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of The Sentinel-Record.
Fans love the Purple Kow Milk Tea with caramel, pudding, and, of course, tapioca pearls. A little over a year into business, Honeybear has become a major part of the boba game in San Francisco — especially for the city’s eastside residents. A honey milk tea costs just $4.50, not bad for an average price, whereas a signature option like Uncle Larry’s Dreamsicle costs $5.25. And if you notice Bayview rapper Larry June’s songs tilting through the air, that’s no surprise; he launched the Dogpatch business in 2021.