For years, Lake Oswego has lacked a dedicated bubble tea shop. Bubble tea, or boba, is a popular drink from Taiwan. In its most basic form, it is a combination of tea, milk and tapioca pearls; however, most shops offer many variations on the types of tea, gelatin additions and ice and sweetness levels. Although it is not uncommon to have bubble tea as a menu item at a restaurant, the environment and quality of the bubble tea from a designated shop bring a completely different experience. It is like getting coffee at Mcdonalds. Sure the coffee is functional and may sustain you for a day, but its nothing compared to a nice brewed cup from a cozy coffee shop. But now for students and people who have been longtime fans or just now getting interested, there is going to be a designated shop in Lake Oswego.

The popular boba franchise ShareTea has opened a new shop in Lake Oswego. According to the franchisee of this new ShareTea, Jing Liu, “ShareTea has already opened more than 100 shops in North America.” ShareTea is one of the most popular boba franchises for a reason. According to junior Karlee Zurcher, their popularity comes from an emphasis on “good quality for everything” and because it is “authentic since everything is imported from Taiwan.” Freshman Joshua Tae seconded Zurcher’s opinion and said he likes ShareTea because “They have a lot of different flavors and you can customize it to whatever you want.” Liu settled on ShareTea to franchise because, “ShareTea’s product line is the most sophisticated one, and the brand is dedicated to delivering better beverages.”

The new ShareTea shop is located at the South Lake Center, right off of Boones Ferry and before the exit to I-5. The shop is located in the same mall as popular restaurants, Fudruckers, Panda Express, Baja Fresh and Sushi Hana, making it perfect for a post-meal snack. The new ShareTea shop is also just a few blocks down from Bridgeport so if you’re very craving boba after a long movie or shopping session, it will be extremely convenient. Zurcher expressed her satisfaction and said that the new location “Will probably affect how often I go because the one in Beaverton is about a 30-minute drive.” Many boba shops are not near Lake Oswego and require a long drive, with Zurcher observing, “Lots of people like Boba but they just don’t want to drive super far.”

Boba enthusiasts will no longer have to drive far to get their boba fix. Whether you have never tried boba before or are essentially addicted to boba, make sure to check out the brand new ShareTea store.