The boba ‘market’ has absolutely exploded in the past few years. Generation Z has completely taken to the fun drinks and squishy pearls, and businesses around Creek that serve any type of the drink are booming.
At one point, Creek had two beloved boba restaurants surrounding it, The Alley and Tea+ that have since been replaced. So It wasn’t unusual to see a student with a boba in their hands. The Alley and Tea+ were both within walking distance of school, and students enjoyed having the stores nearby. When those businesses closed, students were left without a favorite snack. But now, the scene has re-emerged with the Sen Tea and Coffee House, located in Belleview Square.
Even though the Sen House is still a relatively new business, they have tons of new flavors, a larger variety of drinks, and even have fresh food.
Although this wide variety of bobas and coffees can be a little overwhelming, it’s nice not being restricted to the most popular drinks. It seems like there is a drink for everyone, whether you like something sweet, bitter, fruity, savory, earthy, rich they have it all.
The owners of Sen Tea agree that having a wide variety of choices helps them stand out. “Boba is over-saturated. It’s very competitive. You have to provide different things to distinguish yourselves from all other competitors, so we make really strong tea flavors,” the owner Nhat Pham Hoang said.
Not only is the customer service great, you can tell that the business really enjoys what they are serving and are passionate about every drink that they create.
You can see this great love for what they do when you look at their Instagram. The employees are always showing off their latest creations and listing all of the ingredients involved in the captions. This is extremely informational and inclusive, illustrating their great compassion and showing the high quality ingredients. The store’s pride in their work only makes me want to go grab a drink there more. And to be honest, maybe I’ll make one of the drinks someday.
In addition, the prices are pretty reasonable. The drinks range from five to seven dollars, and there is only a .75 cent percent markup for 16 ounces to 24 ounces. But I do believe that the food is a little pricey, it ranges anywhere from four to eight dollars. A Croffle, which is a combination of a croissant and a waffle, is $7, and Bao buns average around $5.
Sen Tea worked really hard to make the inside as inviting as possible; the ambiance really couldn’t be more welcoming. They even put a Christmas tree up for the holidays and I’m sure we will see more classy decor when other seasons come around.
I can see this place really fulfilling its dreams in the future and becoming one of the biggest hang out spots for students at Creek that want to sit and relax while sipping on a flavorful drink.
