Bubble tea sellers in US grow with drink's popularity

New York

THE Starbucks on Waverly Place in Greenwich Village was all but empty at 8.30 on a recent Wednesday night, but across the street at Boba Guys, a bubble tea shop, the line was long.

A wave of first-time customers had just arrived at the front counter, uncertain of the drill and even more about bubble tea, which has had a niche following in the United States for some time.

An employee behind the counter guided the customers through their options, which were also explained on wall signs: Select a tea (classic milk, say, or jasmine milk or horchata), and pick a topping such as tapioca balls (the bubbles, or "boba"), almond jelly or grass jelly (an Asian treat similar in texture to Jell-O).

Then, more choices: Would you like the milk in your tea to be organic, soya or almond? What about the sweetness level: 100 per cent, 75 per cent, 50 per cent, 25 per cent or none?…