Looking to start a bubble tea place

[donkgetspaid]

My plan is to start a bubble tea shop, I was wondering if anyone is in same industry and are willing to share their stories.

There is currently no good bubble tea place to go to and my goal is to create an environment for all the young asians to hang out.

My main concerns are:

1. Suppliers, there are so many out there to choose from in Canada, which one should I go with?

2. Location, since I expect my customers to be mostly young asians I would like to open one nearby the university. However, if I can't find a location nearby where else should I consider?

3. Budget, how much cash do I need to start this business if I am looking to pay monthly rent of 1k-2k.

[Freelancier]

I had to look up what you were talking about.

It looks like something that could be done as a sit-down or a to-go shop. Which do you want? A to-go shop is likely lower cost for real estate and upkeep and you just need to situate yourself in a busy location where people can walk up, get what they want, and leave. A sit-down shop, you have the added space for inventory to sell, but then you're worrying about selling and managing inventory.

As for location, although nothing may look available, if you talk to the managers of the buildings around the location you want, you might find an opening is coming up in the timeframe when you'll be ready for it.

[donkgetspaid]

Thanks for the feedback Freelacier.

I may be too overly ambitious here, but I would like to create a place for all the asian university students to hang out. So I will most likely need a place for people to sit down. I am definitely open to suggestions on that tho.

The current spot that I am considering does not seem to have any openings but I will give them a call on Monday to see if there will be anything available in the next 3 months.

[rada]

Hi Donkgetspaid, would u mind tell me where r u located? because it seem like we have very similar goal here. I am very interested in Asian fusion & dessert lounge business which target on teenage and young adult.

[rshughes]

Look here too:
http://www.small-business-forum.net/starting-your-business/5963-asian-bubble-boba-tea-business.html

[MoreCustomers]

Not sure about the suppliers but as for the location, I would also consider places that are closed to a high school with large number of Asian students. Generally you don't need a large space to operate a bubble tea business as it is one of the businesses that is suitable for take-outs only. So you can save on rent as well. Another thing you may want to consider is to add Vietnamese subs on your menu. Good luck.