4 Denver bubble tea shops to that aren’t Starbucks

Bubble tea has been a staple in Asia since the ‘80s, but its popularity is exploding stateside. The often technicolored Taiwan-born drink is made with a hot or cold tea base combined with milk, fruit or fruit juices and finished with “bubbles” or “bobas” — soft and chewy tapioca pearls that sit at the bottom. It is typically served in clear, plastic cups with wide straws to suck up the bubbles.

In May, Starbucks decided to jump on the bandwagon and release its own version.  The coffee conglomerate now features a trio of drinks on its menu, all of which include bright pink, boba-style pearls filled with berry juice.

The move isn’t surprising as the global bubble tea market is expected to reach more than $4.5 billion by 2026, according to a 2022 report by the Facts & Factors market research firm.

It’s hot in metro Denver as well: On Colorado Boulevard alone, there are at least eight bubble tea shops, including local businesses like Tea Street and chains like Gong Cha.

But not all boba teas are the same, said Tea Street co-founder Victoria Lam, especially when it comes to Starbucks. “Just because you add boba to an existing drink, it doesn’t make it a bubble tea. I think it’s creative and fun, but it’s a little bit different.

“It’s great if [Starbucks] wants to do it as an acknowledgment to the Asian-American culture, but if it’s just to save their business, I don’t know if it’s the best approach,” she added.

For those who want to sip their bubble tea locally and get a taste of authenticity, here are four shops for your consideration:

Tea Street

Lam opened Tea Street with her brother Patrick in 2018. The Colorado-born duo makes everything in-house and intertwines their Cantonese and Vietnamese background throughout the menu. That includes creations like pickled lemonade, a sweet and salty drink reminiscent of their childhood, and black sesame milk tea, inspired by a dessert they ate growing up. Guests can add honey, crystal or brown sugar boba, as well as a variety of bursting boba, jelly and fruity pudding to any of their drinks.

Lam said Tea Street’s taro slush, a frozen drink made with the Southeast Asian veggie, as well as the Hong Kong-style milk tea, brewed like coffee and served hot, are some of their most popular menu items. Drinks range from $4.75 to $5.65.

“When we first opened, we were one of a handful. Now even just on Colorado Boulevard, we’re one of at least 10 different shops,” Lam said. “I don’t see it as a bad thing, though. Bubble tea is becoming synonymous with coffee, and just like coffee shops pop up everywhere, people can find their perfect match.”

4090 E. Mississippi Ave., Denver; teastreetdenver.com

Daboba

Stephanie Richter opened Daboba near Denver’s Union Station in 2022. Unlike Tea Street, Daboba only offers brown sugar boba and jelly as a topping. Richter brews all of the tea in-house daily and buys the same U.S.-made boba as popular California chain Boba Guys, which she considers “the best you could possibly buy,” she said.

“We don’t do popping boba because it’s not traditional,” Richter said. “I feel like Starbucks is mocking that tradition and jumping on the trend in a bad way. People shouldn’t be judging boba based on what Starbucks is making because it’s just pure sugar. There’s such an art to cooking boba and brewing high-quality tea.”

Daboba’s drinks range from $3.25 for a shot of espresso to $7.75 for a large roasted brown sugar pearl espresso. Richter said the shop’s new Creme Brulee series, which features homemade creme brulee mixed with ube or matcha, has been a hit, and the fresh watermelon green tea with lychee jelly is a summertime favorite.

1920 17th St., Unit 100, Denver; dabobadenver.com

Lollicup

Lollicup was one of the first bubble tea shops in Denver when it debuted in 2003. “You had to drive to another city to get to another boba shop when we first opened,” said June Yuan, daughter of Lollicup owners Mei and Khu Yuan.

At first, their only customers were of Asian descent or people who were familiar with Taiwanese culture. But over the years, the shop has found its niche in introducing newcomers to bubble tea. “We’ve grown with our customers and Denver, and we know what people are looking for to ease their way into boba culture,” Yuan said.

For example, for the surrounding Latino population, they’ve added a Mango Fruit Slush with Chamoy and chili powder. For the kids, they have plenty of fruity lemonades with popping boba. “Kids fell in love with popping boba during the frozen yogurt craze, so they’re more familiar with it,” Yuan said.

As for Starbucks’ take on the trend, the Yuans couldn’t believe it at first and speculated it was an attempt to boost business during trying times. “They’re jumping on what they think is a temporary fad, but this is our livelihood,” she said.

1589 S. Colorado Blvd., Glendale; 1046 S. Federal Blvd., Denver; lollicupdenver.com

Die Die Must Try Beverage Co.

Ben Chow, his wife and his parents opened Die Die Must Try in Cherry Creek North, after spending two decades in Singapore, where boba is very common. The bubble tea shop has a smaller menu than most with a selection of Singapore specials, milk teas, fruit teas and not-teas.

“It looks more like a cocktail menu because we wanted to hyper-focus on these few hits to reach the audience we’re looking for,” Chow said. Toppings include brown sugar boba, passionfruit, mango, strawberry or lychee popping boba, aloe vera, grass jelly, mangosteen pudding or red bean.