Popular bubble tea chain Kung Fu Tea opens in Fayetteville
After one sip, Tan Phan knew he had to bring Kung Fu Tea to Fayetteville.
Phan opened the newest franchise of the New York City-based bubble tea shop at 7835 Good Middling Drive in Fayetteville on Saturday, the culmination of nearly a year of work and great anticipation from boba fans.
The shop is open daily, from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. A grand opening event, which will include buy-one-get-one-free deals on select drinks, is tentatively scheduled for late April or early May, Phan said. Until then, the shop will be open as a "soft opening," during which time Phan urged patience from what he expects will be a large number of customers.
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Phan, a Fayetteville native, credited his girlfriend, who is from Philadelphia, for exposing him to the larger bubble tea brands and menu options that he had never encountered at the smaller, independent bubble tea shops that he grew up visiting in Fayetteville.
While he considered several bubble tea brands, Phan said he wanted to work with Kung Fu Tea because he thought its selections were the most approachable and had the widest appeal.
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His family also owns Envy Nails & Spa on Skibo Road. When the nail salon was ordered to close for around two months in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Phan knew they had to diversify their businesses.
Work began on the Kung Fu Tea spot in May, and Phan originally eyed a December opening date, but supply chain issues slowed the process and delayed the opening.
On March 24, Phan was finally given the green light by corporate to open, joining more than 300 locations nationwide, including spots in Cary and Raleigh.
"It's like a great weight lifted off my shoulders," he said of the opening.
Online ordering is not currently available, but will be an option once the shop officially has its grand opening. To keep up to date, follow Kung Fu Tea in Fayetteville on Facebook and Instagram.
Jacob Pucci writes on food, restaurants and business. Contact him by email at jpucci@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @jacobpucci or on Facebook. Like talking food? Join our Fayetteville Foodies Facebook group and sign up for our Fayetteville Foodies newsletter.
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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Bubble tea chain Kung Fu Tea opens in Fayetteville NC
