With more than 30 new boba tea shops in 3 years, Portland can’t seem to get enough boba
Updated 10:00 AM;
When Portland’s earliest known boba tea shop, Tea Chai Te, opened in December 2003, store owners Angela and Dominic Valdes watched many of their customers experience the drink for the first time.
The couple first encountered the Taiwanese beverage themselves in 2002 at Seattle boba shop Gossip, which opened in December 2000 and closed in recent years.
Angela Valdes said they spent the first few years “explaining to customers” how to enjoy the drink.
“From popping open the drink with a big brightly colored straw to having tapioca pearls and coconut jellies in the bottom, [there] was something new and exciting for everyone,” she said.