With its vibrant colors, unique texture and endless opportunities for personalization, boba tea—also known as bubble tea—has become one of the trendiest drinks around. Originally from Taiwan, this playful beverage blends tea, milk, or fruit with sweet toppings like popping boba, jelly, or the classic tapioca pearls. Part treat, part drink, boba is as fun to sip as it is to customize. Its popularity has skyrocketed thanks to its Instagram-worthy appearance, creative flavors and the satisfying chewy texture of the pearls. Cool, customizable, and just the right amount of sweet, boba tea is the ultimate refreshing sip for hot summer days. Here are a few Sarasota spots where you can pop in and try this tasty treat for yourself. —K.Wight/C.Mould
Kam’s Bubble Tea & Sushi
There’s no better business than a family business, unless it’s a family boba business—then it’s even better. Kam’s Bubble Tea & Sushi is named after Ramli Kam who runs the enterprise with wife Yemi Tan, daughter Delia Ermina and son-in-law, Novan Makapedua. Originally from Indonesia, the family moved to Chicago, where Kam and Tan took up positions in a local sushi restaurant while Makapedua worked at a bubble tea shop. After Ermina was accepted to Lecom School of Pharmacy in 2015 to study Pharmaceutical Science, the family moved to Sarasota. Putting their experience together, the family opened a joint bubble tea and sushi restaurant in the heart of the historic district of downtown Sarasota. Kam’s Bubble Tea & Sushi are one of the few boba shops that craft their own tapioca pearls in-house. The pearls are created by blending tapioca starch and hot water to create a dough-like substance, before it is placed into a specialized machine that creates the perfect tapioca pearl. “We started to make our own boba when Covid started,” says Ermina. “We didn’t want our quality to suffer because it was getting harder to import some of our ingredients from Taiwan.” Not only does Kam’s Bubble Tea & Sushi have exceptional quality, but they also have unconventional boba tea options like Ermina’s favorite, Avocado Milk Tea, made from creamy avocados, black tea and milk. This earthy drink is perfect for those who enjoy rich textures with hints of subtle fruitiness. Kam’s Bubble Tea & Sushi, 5131 N Tamiami Trl Ste B, Sarasota, 941- 277-3707.
Serenity Sips
Serenity Sips, owned by husband and wife Hiep Nguyen and My Hieu Doan, offers a variety of coffee, milk teas with tapioca pearls, fruit teas with popping boba and pastries for customers. After owning a salon for seventeen years, Nguyen and Doan made the decision to open the coffee shop just three months ago. “I love community, and I love seeing people come to the coffee shop to relax … and have fun,” Nguyen said about their decision to shift professions. The shop imports coffee from the highlands of Vietnam for a distinct and high-quality flavor. The coffee milk tea offers customers the opportunity to taste this special coffee while also enjoying the tapioca pearls which draw many to boba shops. Nguyen also noted that the couple decided to incorporate boba drinks into their menu to serve a wider variety of customers, even those who don’t enjoy coffee. The cafe offers a selection of other milk tea flavors, including Taro, Thai and fruit milk tea options, as well as espresso drinks and pastries. Those in search of a refreshing pop of flavor can choose one of three fizzy fruit drinks with popping boba at the cozy cafe. Serenity Sips, 1880 S Tamiami Trl., Venice, 941-310-4477
Funky Fresh Boba Tea
Murat Yavas moved from Los Angeles to Sarasota and bought Funky Fresh Boba Tea just a few months ago. He’s new to the boba business, but said over the past few months he’s worked hard to make high quality drinks. “It’s been wonderful because it’s a good place and our team members are wonderful. It’s like a family, and all the customers are like family,” Yavas said as he reflected on his first few months of owning the shop. Those looking to create their own customized boba drink should look to Yavas’ shop, as he offers a ‘Build-a-Boba’ menu from which customers can choose their drink’s size, ice and sugar levels, drink base, flavors and toppings. Not sure what to choose? This shop’s menu also offers a surprise drink option, with which customers can ask an employee to choose a drink for them. Other options include classics such as the Tiger Sugar Milk Tea, as well as specials like the Funky Monkey—a Thai tea with coconut flavor, coconut milk and tapioca pearls. Delicious specials don’t stop there—Peach Gardenia offers a matcha tea with peach syrup and peach popping boba, and the Honeysuckle Latte includes a cold brew with honey, condensed milk and tapioca. Funky Fresh also offers a variety of fruity teas, specialty coffees and sweet treats for those looking for a quick refreshment. Funky Fresh Boba Tea, 265 S Tamiami Trl., Nokomis, 941-412-4538
JaRamen X Ding Tea UTC
JaRamen X Ding Tea UTC has been delighting boba lovers for the past two years with a flavorful selection of milk teas, fruit teas, fresh juices and slushies—all served from their cozy spot at 5231 University Parkway, in the same plaza as Mission BBQ. Customers enjoy customizing their drinks with fun toppings like tiramisu foam, rainbow jelly and more. One fan favorite is the Monster Boba Latte—a rich, indulgent drink served cold (without ice), made with fresh milk, brown sugar and heavy whipping cream. The result is a perfect blend of sweet and salty that keeps customers coming back for more. Beyond their drinks, JaRamen is also known for its satisfying ramen bowls and hearty Japanese curry dishes, making it a go-to destination for both sips and savory bites. JaRamen X Ding Tea UTC, 5231 University Pkwy #105, Sarasota, 941-702, 6066.
Stardust Cafe
Like all good stories, this business began with romance. Owners Jay and Marina Vongphachanh were attending Temple University in Philadelphia when they met, bonding over their shared affection for boba. “It was everywhere, especially in Chinatown,” Marina said. “You couldn’t walk a block without seeing a boba shop.” Moving to Sarasota in 2022, the couple was surprised at the utter lack of boba cafes in the city, and Marina took the opportunity to open the business of her dreams. She began making boba drinks for family members, friends and household events with the help of her brother. It wasn’t long before she was vending her boba products at farmers markets in Venice and Englewood alongside her family friend’s business Lumpia N More. Following their success, the couple opened Stardust Café in November of 2023. “We really wanted a space that would allow us to broaden our menu, and store our fresh ingredients,” the couple explained. Marina’s personal favorite is the Strawberry Green Tea. Made from their homemade organic syrup and premium jasmine green tea, this sweet, pulpy drink can be paired with tapioca boba or crystal boba, a jelly-like alternative made from agar powder, sugar and fruit juice. Stardust Cafe, 6517 Superior Ave, Sarasota, 941-413-7264.
Mia’s Vietnamese Cuisine
After years of running a successful Vietnamese restaurant in Franklin Park, New Jersey, Mia Ha brought her treasured family recipes to Sarasota when she opened the second location of Mia’s Vietnamese Cuisine in 2022. Ha shares treasured family recipes that have been carefully passed down for generations. In addition to dishing up a wide variety of authentic Vietnamese food and flavors, Ha has a thoughtfully designed selection of boba tea options. “We tried to narrow down our boba options to our customer’s taste,” says Ha. “We want our customers to know that when they come to Mia’s, they are going to expect an elevated level of service.” This includes a Boba Tea Slush, a specialty drink that you won’t find at most boba shops. Their one-of-a-kind Honeydew Slush is carefully concocted with flavored powder and mixed with a base of black or green tea, before it is blended to icy perfection. Customers have the option to add popping boba and fruit jellies made from lychee, strawberry and mango boba or tapioca pearls. Mia’s Vietnamese Cuisine, 2720 Stickney Point Rd, Sarasota, 941-923-9899
Poppin Boba Tea
Poppin Boba Tea owner Andrew Hua’s family has been in the boba business for 15 years, so when he moved to Englewood in 2020 and saw that there were no boba stores in the area, he decided it was time to open his own. With Poppin Boba, Hua hopes to create a space where children and teenagers from Englewood can gather and spend time together, while also discovering the wide variety of boba drinks the shop offers, which includes milk teas, fruity popping boba drinks, fruit teas, slushies and smoothies. “In a small town like this, nobody really knows about boba, so I just want to introduce the community to boba. I also wanted to have a place for high school kids to come and hang out, because there’s not a whole lot of places for kids to do that around here,” Hua said. He encouraged newcomers to try popular options such as the Taro Milk Tea and Tiger Milk Tea, as well as the refreshing variety of fruit teas. Poppin Boba Tea, 2828 S McCall Rd, Ste 34, Englewood, 941-307-6050
Kyuramen X Tbaar Sarasota
At Kyuramen X Tbaar, customers can enjoy high quality ramen meals as well as a boba treat as dessert. Customers can choose from a selection of milk teas, bright and flavorful fruit teas with milk foam or one of several smoothies. In addition to the traditional brown sugar milk tea, this restaurant also offers a similar drink with a twist—a brown sugar bubble matcha with tapioca pearls. The matcha options don’t stop there—the restaurant also offers a special matcha smoothie along with other smoothie flavors such as coconut, taro, or mango and orange. For a particularly hot Florida summer day, customers can choose a more refreshing option from the fruit teas menu, which includes the popular fresh passion fruit and lychee lime green teas. Kyuramen X Tbaar Sarasota, 3232 N Tamiami Trl., Sarasota, 941-359-6646
Sweet Krunch
Sweet Krunch restaurant’s mission is to create a warm and inviting atmosphere to customers, who can choose from a variety of milk teas, fruit teas and slushies with a free topping included. Many flavorful options are offered, including coconut, rose, jasmine, white peach or mango milk teas —as well as more traditional options such as the classic milk tea. Those looking for an energy boost can order a mocha latte or Blue Mountain coffee with tapioca pearls, and those in need of a refreshing drink on a warm day can choose one of the many fruit slushie flavors. Beyond their boba options, Sweet Krunch also offers signature Korean Fried Chicken dishes as well as traditional dishes such as Korean Fried Rice and Chicken Katsu. Sweet Krunch, 5605 Manatee Ave. West, Bradenton, 941-666-8008
