Bubble it up: 3 new bubble tea shops open in Louisville. Here's where to find them

Dahlia Ghabour, Louisville Courier Journal
·4 min read
Organic fruit teas on the menu at The Bep Teahouse include the Jamaica Sunrise, made with hibiscus and passion fruit, and the Strawberry Cobbler, made with strawberry, peach and strawberry topping.
Organic fruit teas on the menu at The Bep Teahouse include the Jamaica Sunrise, made with hibiscus and passion fruit, and the Strawberry Cobbler, made with strawberry, peach and strawberry topping.

The bubble tea shop trend is continuing to pick up steam in Louisville.

Three new shops serving the classic Taiwanese drink have opened or plan to open this year, including national chains and local concepts.

There are dozens of variations, but basically, bubble tea — also called "boba tea" or "pearl milk tea" — is a combination of tea, milk and the "bubbles," which are usually little balls of tapioca or jelly. The drinks are highly customizable with choices on everything from sweetness level to ice and milk options.

Here's everything we know so far about the new tea shops coming to Louisville. Know one we missed? Send a note to dghabour@gannett.com.

The Bep Teahouse

1702 Bardstown Road; thebepteahouse.com; Now open

The long-empty Superchefs space in the Highlands will soon have a new tenant: a bubble tea shop called The Bep Teahouse. Co-owner Mimi Luu said she has loved bubble tea her whole life and always wanted to open her own shop. This one is the first franchise location of a shop based in Houston, Texas.

Luu said the restaurant has been completely gutted and rebuilt into a "contemporary, modern concept with lots of cute, quirky colors." The shop has teal couches, pink loveseats, wooden tables, and mid-century modern chairs. A full bar, neon lights and games fill the space. Each table has access to plugs for chargers so customers can work there and stay awhile.

Various drinks at The Bep Teahouse.
Various drinks at The Bep Teahouse.

The Bep Teahouse will serve all-organic teas and boba made in the U.S., Luu said. Fruit teas, milk teas and smoothies are the main items on the menu, with a selection of Vietnamese finger foods and street foods like popcorn chicken, fries, vegetarian spring rolls, fried pot stickers and rice paper salad. Foods will be $6 to $11 and drinks range from $3.75 for a standard tea to $7 for fruit teas topped with pieces of fruit.

More: This bubble tea shop is opening in the former Superchefs space. Here's what to know

Fleur de Tea

1212 S. Fourth St.; fleurdetea.store; Opening summer 2023

A funfetti scone with a pecan turtle latte at the Fleur de Tea location at 10704 Meeting St. in Norton Commons. Feb. 24, 2023
A funfetti scone with a pecan turtle latte at the Fleur de Tea location at 10704 Meeting St. in Norton Commons. Feb. 24, 2023

Fleur de Tea, which opened in Norton Commons at the end of 2020, is opening a second location in Old Louisville this summer. The new shop will take up the former Adrienne & Company space. Owner Jasmine Gatti said she wanted to be in Old Louisville in the first place, so it's a perfect fit.

The 900-square-foot Old Louisville location is smaller than the 1,100-square-foot Norton Commons spot, she said, but it has a larger kitchen.

"I definitely want to add some sandwiches and things, and new desserts," she said. "We're painting and sprucing the space up now and hope to open in June."

Fleur de Tea owner Jasmine Gatti served customers during a busy afternoon at her location at 10704 Meeting St. in Norton Commons. Feb. 24, 2023
Fleur de Tea owner Jasmine Gatti served customers during a busy afternoon at her location at 10704 Meeting St. in Norton Commons. Feb. 24, 2023

Fleur de Tea has more than 60 kinds of tea in stock that can be customized and brewed in different ways: served in a teapot, extra strong, steeped in a French press, mixed with espresso or made into a latte. The shop serves bold and brisk black teas like Ceylon sonata and Earl Grey lavender ($2.50-$3.50), slightly bitter green teas with earthy notes like lychee rose, matcha and Hunnan gold ($3-$4.25), premium white teas like peach, pear and strawberry basil ($3.75-$4), as well as oolong, rooibos, Pu-erh, herbal and chai teas. Fleur de Tea also serves from-scratch pastries, snacks, smoothies and a few coffees.

More: This cozy East End tea shop is opening a second location. Here's where to find it

Tiger Sugar

1501 Bardstown Road; tigersugar.co; Now open

Bubble tea chain Tiger Sugar's Milo chocolate malt with tiger jelly.
Bubble tea chain Tiger Sugar's Milo chocolate malt with tiger jelly.

This bubble tea chain opened its 50th location in the Highlands in March. Store manager Nana Zheng said the shop serves plenty of flavors, including the signature drink brown sugar boba tea with fresh Cream Mousse. According to the company's online menu, Tiger Sugar also sells black sugar boba with pearl coffee latte and cream mousse, matcha black sugar boba milk with cream mousse, black sugar boba green tea and black sugar boba black tea, along with plent of other options. Desserts and ice cream could be available in the future too, Zheng said.

Tiger Sugar uses organic milk in all its drinks, Zheng said, along with homemade brown sugar. The boba tea is changed out "every couple of hours" and takes four hours to prepare.

"We want to make sure its quality, that's how Tiger Sugar do. So we are picky," Zheng said.

Tiger Sugar is opening its first Kentucky location in the Highlands. The store will have its soft opening on March 11.
Tiger Sugar is opening its first Kentucky location in the Highlands. The store will have its soft opening on March 11.

More: One of Bardstown Road's busiest corners is getting a sweet new tenant this week

Reach food reporter Dahlia Ghabour at dghabour@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 3 new bubble tea shops in Louisville: Tiger Sugar, Bep Teahouse