Get your boba taste buds ready. A popular bubble tea chain called Royal Tea is coming soon to Pinellas County. The franchise location over in Orlando is absolutely delicious and quite popular so I cannot wait.
Royal Tea joins other bubble tea concepts in the area including Ding Tea, Kung Fu Tea, and Got Tea.
According to Allied Market Research, “the bubble tea market was valued at $2.4 billion in 2019 and is estimated to reach $4.3 billion by 2027.” Also, “growth in health consciousness and increase in adoption of healthy beverages, such as green tea, black tea, oolong tea, and white tea among consumers drive the market growth.”
This might explain the sudden spike in bubble tea concepts around the area, even in Tampa bubble tea shops continue to grow and expand and are now found in residential areas far from their college town stomping yards. The rise in bubble tea has outlasted the froyo trend which seems to have subsided for now and the COVID-19 pandemic does not seem to have caused any disruption for the business.
Mia R. says of the location in Orlando, “I have heard all the rage about this place & I must say that it lived up to the hype. They have a simple menu and if you're craving the cheese foam teas that have been going viral, this is the place to try it. I've had cheese tea twice before and didn't really get into it but this place definitely converts you! My usual order is a matcha tea. Now, this is a drink order that you think people can't mess up but I've had my share of bad matcha drinks. This place was NOT one of them. On the contrary, it's actual [sic] one of my favorites.”
Owners of Royal Tea Pinellas say they are currently still in the building process and are at least 2 to 3 months away from opening depending on how the permit process goes. They are also not owned by the same group in Orlando, but an independent franchisee location. Their website indicates that they are now hiring as well.
They will share more information as the opening date draws closer.
Royal Tea has more than 130 franchise locations in China. Their specialty is making freshly brewed tea with modern technology. Teas are infused with natural and nutritious ingredients. Drinks are made-to-order, use real ingredients, and cost around $4 to $6 at the Orlando location which is about standard for today.
Menu items include Cheese Teas, Matcha Teas, Milk Teas, and Fresh Fruit Teas. My favorite of all of them at the other location is definitely the Cheese Cream Matcha and a close second is the Fresh Fruit Teas, which are very refreshing especially in hot Florida weather.
There is already a menu up at royalteapinellas.com and social media accounts live. More details as they become available.
Sources: Allied Market Research