The demand for bubble tea has grown rapidly over the years, and it is currently the most popular drink among kids and adults, and the bubble tea shop is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. It is also one of the businesses that Deepak Shukla established.
For those who have never tried it. Bubble tea is a sweet and creamy beverage that has been around for over a century. It consists of milk, sugar, and flavouring. It’s usually served in small cups with straws to drink from. It is made from tapioca pearls, milk powder and sugar syrup, which are blended in a special machine to make it into bubbles that will float to the top when shaken vigorously.
The bubble tea market is highly competitive, which might make starting your bubble tea business a little overwhelming. It is easy to start, but it will require time and effort.
Before starting your business or creating your project, you need to know what you want to achieve. In this article, as one of Deepak’s team, I will walk you through the steps to plan for your bubble tea business!
Independent or Franchisee?
As a starting point, deciding which model we would like to follow for our bubble tea brand has helped us get started.
Independent businesses have set up their own small business without any external influence. They can be riskier than franchisees, but they have a lot of benefits too. The main advantage of independent businesses is that they have more freedom to set their prices and terms, which means they can charge different prices for different products and services.
A bubble tea franchise is associated with a particular company by working for it long-term as a salesperson, trainer, or consultant. They are supervised by the company and receive regular payments based on how well they perform in their job. The main disadvantage of franchisees is that they need to follow certain rules regarding product quality and service standards, which means they are not free to set their pricing or terms.
Pick a Good Store Location
You need to find a location for your bubble tea store close to the customers’ homes and businesses. You need to attract foot traffic and get them inside the store.
The location of a store can be determined by its physical characteristics, such as accessibility, size and number of floors. However, it is also important to consider the surrounding environment, such as the availability of parking spaces and attractive retail areas.
Design your Store Layout, and Theme
The milk tea store layout design should be as distinctive as possible. The most important thing is to have a clean, bright, and spacious atmosphere based on the theme of the business. The design of our store is not only a matter of aesthetics but also one of our business strategies.
To attract more customers, try to use bright and vibrant colours so that customers can easily find them in a crowded environment. If you want them to return for more, soothing tones and soft colours will help them relax after their busy day.
Write up your Business Plan.
A business plan is a blueprint for every small business’s future. It is a step-by-step guide for investors, bankers, and future employees about what you’re going to do with your money. This actually helped us know how we would market our bubble tea business to make it stand out.
Understand how you will finance the new boba tea shop
Leasing will be a huge expense, and its profits will depend on the business’s success. This is why it is important to understand how we will finance our new shop. Bubble tea shops are usually in small spaces and are very cheap to source. Many factors affect profit margins: equipment, inventory, fixed costs, rent, and lease costs, profit margins, etc.
Invest in the Right Equipment
Investing in the right equipment is necessary for any small business to become more efficient. This helped us increase productivity and reduce our costs. The equipment is a key part of the production process.
You can invest in at least two stoves to cook chewy tapioca pearls in and brew your tea. It helps in making sure that the tea is made properly and efficiently. The ice maker has to be kept clean and free from dust and debris. The refrigerators must be kept clean, so they do not get clogged with food waste and produce bad smells. Cup-sealing machines make the workflow in bubble tea shops more efficient as well.
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Find a supplier who can meet your needs.
A good supplier is essential for your boba business to survive. They have to be able to offer the required quality and price, and they have to provide a wide range of products. A reputable supplier will have high-quality ingredients you can use in a way that your customers will be satisfied with.
For us, bubble tea ingredients like tapioca pearls are essential for making our milk tea, and we considered buying ingredients from reputable suppliers. The ingredients’ quality also matters so it’s important to look for reliable suppliers with high-quality products.
Staff Training
It is a common practice to train staff for a specific task. To ensure that the bubble tea training is effective, we need to understand what the staff needs and how they can be trained.
The bubble tea industry is highly competitive, and it is therefore important for every shop to train its staff effectively to perform at their best. A good bubble tea shop must have an efficient training program that covers all aspects of customer service and food preparation.
Get the paperwork in order.
Finally, Deepak got the paperwork so our bubble tea shop could legally get its license. This includes legal documents, health and safety inspections, and technical documentation, which means many things must be done before opening a bubble tea shop.
Once the paperwork is in order, it will be easier for the business to operate without worrying about any problems.
Conclusion
You can make money from a bubble tea business, but it’s difficult. You must have good ideas, a great product, and the right people to support you through your start-up journey. The best way to ensure that you have a successful bubble tea business is to focus on the right things, including:
- Having a good store location with increased foot traffic
- Increasing your reach when putting out advertisements for your bubble tea business
- Serving quality bubble tea drinks that will entice your customers to come back
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FAQs
What syrups are used in bubble tea?
Syrups are used in bubble tea to enhance the taste of the drink. They are used as a sweetener, flavouring, or ingredient. The average amount of sugar syrup used in bubble tea is around 5%, while the amount of topping can be anywhere between 10-20%. However, these ingredients have different impacts on taste, so it’s used in consideration of the customer’s preferences.
Are tapioca balls good for you?
At first glance, tapioca balls look like a healthy snack. They are not only tasty but also good for you. The taste of tapioca balls is very good, and it is said that they can be used in many dishes like soup or stew. You can make them into a dessert by baking them in the oven or frying them in oil.
Are bubble teas healthy?
Unfortunately, boba itself offers very little in the way of health advantages, though its calories and carbohydrates may give you an energy boost. The majority of boba teas are high in sugar, which has been linked to chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity.
