Weekend Plans: 'Boba Guys' Introduces Spring Flavors, Lunar New Year Soiree
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Celebrate the Lunar New Year with new spring flavors at Boba Guys! That's just one of the buzzed-about weekend events from our partners at Hoodline.
Boba Guys Launches Spring Flavors
To celebrate the coming of Spring, Boba Guys is launching four new drinks with an emphasis on fresh flavors. You can now sample Purple Rain, Kiwi Guava, Arnold Palmer and the Matcha Arnold Palmer.
And if you're considering making a change in the New Year, take a moment to consider the story of co-founders Bin Chen and Andrew Chau. They spent a decade in the corporate world; Bin was creative director and Andrew was business manager at bag and accessory company Timbuk2. They became friends and quickly bonded over their love of boba, or bubble tea, which, if you haven't tried, is typically a milk tea base with chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom.
"We have really fond memories of boba from our childhood," said Bin, "I was always really excited to go, I'd save up my allowance."
They realized there was a space to be filled: upscale boba. And so they made the leap and haven't looked back. At Boba Guys, you'll find organic milk instead of coffee creamer, premium leaves instead of tea bags and housemade cane syrup instead of fructose.
"Some people say we're 'bougie boba,' I'd say we're better boba," said Andrew. "Americans, we're not used to chewing drinks, right? So we know we're having a moment. And you can see it on their faces and that's why we do it."
Boba Guys now has more than 200 employees and nine locations and counting, with long lines and a cult following. Bin and Andrew managed to build the brand with zero paid advertising- their popularity grew through word-of-mouth and social media. Their shops feature a bright, clean aesthetic. Everything from the large aardvark logo on the wall to the black and white tiles spelling "boba" on the floor are designed to look beautiful both in-person and in your posts.
And their drinks are not only delicious, they're highly-Instagrammable. Their most-photographed beverage would likely be the strawberry matcha latte, which has a lush pink strawberry puree base layer, organic milk center (which can be substituted for a variety of plant and nut milks), topped with freshly-whipped umami-filled matcha. They purposely leave it unshaken so you can see three distinct, eye-catching layers.
The kind of success that Bin and Andrew are experiencing is the dream of most entrepreneurs, but they will be the first to tell you that it comes with an around-the-clock schedule. They credit their immigrant parents for their strong work ethic. The best part of the ride so far? Getting to show their families that leaving their "safe" jobs was worth it.
Bin described finally showing his father the bustling, beautiful boba shop: "Oh man you're going to try to make me cry! He just said he was proud of me. It was really cool, to be able to show your parents this is what we built, this is what we're doing and this is why it's worth it," said Bin.
Added Andrew: ""It's crazy to see how far we've come, because seven years ago we never would never think it would get this far."
To see Hoodline's profile on Boba Guys' Mission expansion, click here.
Celebrate the Year of the Dog in style! Red attire is recommended at the Lunar New Year Soiree at Crystal Jade restaurant. Enjoy a stunning nine course banquet-style meal, performances and a fun virtual reality experience. It's presented by the Taiwanese American Professionals - San Francisco Chapter. The mouthwaterming menu is as follows:
Walnut Prawns
Roasted Chicken
Baby Bok Choy Sauteed with Garlic
Trio BBQ Platter
Braised Tofu
Black pepper sliced beef
Yang Zhou Fried Rice
Ginger and Scallion Fish Filets
Japanese Mochi
Tickets are $120, the event is Saturday, February 24th from 5pm to 10pm.
You can find all the info on Hoodline, click the link here.
There's nothing like tradition. The Chinese Culture Center's Spring Festival is self-described as the "largest indoor Lunar New Year Celebration in San Francisco." You'll see artwork and performances, including lion dancing by the Cal VSA Lion Dance team. The event is on Saturday and runs 12pm-4pm
For all of the info, including more on VIP viewing of the Chinese New Year Parade, follow Hoodline's link.
MORE TO DO: Enjoy the weekend, and don't forget to check out Hoodline's events calendar for more ideas.
