A bubble tea shop for this long-vacant storefront on 14th Street

Pila de Boba, offering bubble tea, macarons and ice cream, is a new tenant for 328 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The shop was scheduled to open this past Friday, per its Instagram account.

This space — now divided into two storefronts — has been vacant since Artichoke Basille's Pizza relocated across the street in June 2017. Before the move, the pizzeria suffered damage during a two-alarm fire. The FDNY said the fire was accidental — "due to heat from the pizza oven flue."

Various brokers have been trying to lease this space since early 2018. 

Thanks to Steven for the photo, and Pinch for keeping a watchful eye on the space.

Xing Fu Tang is now open on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

The Taiwan-based Xing Fu Tang, a bubble tea chain specializing in brown sugar boba, debuted on Saturday on the northwest corner of St. Mark's Place and Second Avenue. 

There was a line (and crowd!) when we walked by around 8 p.m. This is the second NYC location for Xing Fu Tang, joining the one in Flushing.

Our previous post has more about this corner space (133 Second Ave./37 St. Mark's Place) in recent retail years. 

P.S. 

And we don't know if a foot rub is $32 or $36 upstairs. (Someone asked last time about the dueling signs.)

Plywood comes down to reveal Xing Fu Tang on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

Workers removed the plywood yesterday from the northwest corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place ... providing a FULL reveal of the new tenant, the Taiwan-based Xing Fu Tang, a bubble tea chain specializing in brown sugar boba... (thanks to Steven for the photos!)

No word on an opening date... they are currently hiring...

As noted, bubble tea is rather plentiful already along this corridor. Gong Cha, which describes itself as "one of the most recognized bubble tea brands around the world," recently opened an outpost at 27 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Nothing has been able to stick in this corner space in recent years. Nobletree Coffee closed here in May 2019 after just five months in business. This storefront previously sat empty for three years — ever since DF Mavens closed in January 2016 ... after a Dec. 26, 2014 debut. (It took the Mavens 14 months to open the space.) Other past tenants include Eastside Bakery (.net?) and Roastown Coffee.

And the only business to last here in the past 30 years: the Gap, from 1988 to 2001.

New signage day for the NW corner of 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

Workers yesterday started putting up the signage for the new business on this most high-profile of East Village corners — the NW side of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

As previously reported, the Taiwan-based Xing Fu Tang, a bubble tea chain specializing in brown sugar boba, will be setting up shop here...

No word on an opening date...

Nobletree Coffee closed here in May 2019 after just five months in business. This storefront previously sat empty for three years — ever since DF Mavens closed in January 2016 ... after a Dec. 26, 2014 debut. (It took the Mavenators 14 months to open the space.)

Other tenants in recent years include Eastside Bakery (.net?) and Roastown Coffee. And the only business to last here in the past 30 years: the Gap, from 1988 to 2001.

Thanks to Steven for the photos! (And thanks to Jeff and Brian for sending some along as well!)

Former bubble tea shop space for rent on 3rd Avenue

A for-rent sign arrived last week in the window at 110 Third Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street, marking the official end of One Zo. 

The bubble tea brand from Taiwan debuted here last fall... and had been open as recently as late June.

While One Zo decided to close, several other bubble tea brands continue to try the neighborhood, including the April arrival of Gong Cha on St. Mark's Place... with Xing Fu Tang coming soon to the northwest corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

Gong Cha debuts on St. Mark's Place

The new Gong Cha outpost has officially opened at 27 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

This is the ninth Manhattan outpost for Gong Cha, which describes itself as "one of the most recognized bubble tea brands around the world" ... which got its start in 2006 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

This block of St. Mark's has seen a variety of bubble tea come and go through the recent years... some still in business (Kung Fu Tea right across the street).... and some not (Mi Tea). And there's more on the way for the northwest corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

This storefront had been vacant since Lab -320° closed in late 2016 after six months of selling ice cream. The previous longtime tenant here, The Sock Man, closed in January 2016 after a reported rent hike via (now former) landlord Raphael Toledano. 

Sock Man owner Marty Rosen later opened a new location at 99 1/2 St. Mark's Place ... where he remains today.

Added:

There was previously a Gong Cha location on 14th Street. 

Photo by Steven

This is the new tenant for the NW corner of 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

If you guessed bubble tea, then you win! 

Yesterday, we noted that the long-vacant storefront — most recently Nobletree Coffee — on the northwest corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place received the plywood treatment. 

A deeper dive in public records (thanks Upper West Sider!) reveals that the leasee is the Taiwan-based Xing Fu Tang, a bubble tea chain that specializes in brown sugar boba.

The bubble tea is rather plentiful already along this corridor. And last month, we reported that Gong Cha, which describes itself as "one of the most recognized bubble tea brands around the world," is opening an outpost at 27 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Photo yesterday by Steven

How about some more bubble tea for St. Mark's Place

Gong Cha, which describes itself as "one of the most recognized bubble tea brands around the world," is opening an outpost at 27 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. 

This location is now on the Gong Cha website (H/T Upper West Sider!) ... marking the ninth outpost in Manhattan for the global franchise founded in 2006 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

This block of St. Mark's has seen a variety of bubble tea come and go through the recent years... some still in business (Kung Fu Tea right across the street).... and some not (Mi Tea). 

This storefront (the one on the left) has been vacant since Lab -320° closed in late 2016 after six months of selling ice cream. The previous longtime tenant here, The Sock Man, closed in January 2016 after a reported rent hike via (now former) landlord Raphael Toledano. Sock Man owner Marty Rosen later opened a new location at 99 1/2 St. Mark's Place ... where he remains today.

Photo by Steven

The Whale Tea beaches itself on 14th Street

The Whale Tea has set up shop at 209 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... we're told it's part of an international chain establishing its first NYC outpost.

They took over the space from another international bubble tea chain — Gong Cha.

It's a crowded bubble tea market on this stretch — PaTea and ViVi are less than a half block away.

Thanks to Shiv for the photo!

[Updated] Another bubble tea chain setting up shop in the East Village

One Zo, a bubble tea brand from Taiwan, is opening an outpost here on Third Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street...



And what might set One Zo apart from the other recent bubble-tea establishments to arrive in the East Village of late (here and here and here and here and here, for starters)?

Per the One Zo website:

Since the invention of bubble tea in the 1980s, it spread all over the world and became the most popular Taiwanese drink. Before One Zo was established, every bubble tea shop would only serve one type of tapioca pearl, the honey black boba, a prepackaged tapioca that can store for 8 months or longer. We wanted to break this tradition and show our creativity and passion in boba, and that was when One Zo was found.

We came up with the idea of making boba in our own store so everyone could experience how fresh boba tastes. Although it took countless trials and failure to create different boba flavors, we became the world's first bubble tea brand to make fresh boba in-store. While our boba does not have the typical long shelf life, we hope you will feel our passion and enjoy our boba.

---

Updated!

The shop is now open...



---

So much bubble tea! The Wall Street Journal recently explored the ongoing bubble-tea bonanza:

Bubble tea is hardly a new phenomenon. The drink traces its roots back to Taiwan in the ‘80s, according to those in the industry, and made its way to New York City at least a decade ago.

The current growth in bubble-tea shops reflects the increasing interest in Asian food and beverages, observers of the culinary scene said. As for why so many chains are coming up with new twists on the drink, it speaks to the need to differentiate in a more crowded market, said observers.

“It’s looking for that competitive edge,” said Stephen Zagor, an instructor and former dean at the Institute of Culinary Education and an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School.

But some wonder if the bubble will burst, so to speak, and the interest in the drink will diminish. Then again, Danielle Chang, founder of LuckyRice, a lifestyle brand that promotes Asian food events, said the same could have been said of Starbucks Corp. and the gourmet-coffee trend of decades ago.

Ms. Chang is convinced that bubble tea, in all its variety, is here to stay. “It’s a sign of Asian cuisine going mainstream,” she said.

The Alley now in soft-open bubble tea mode on Cooper Square

The Alley debuted on Sunday at 68 Cooper Square (across from Cooper Union). As previously noted, this is the first NYC location for the growing Taiwanese bubble tea chain.

After a few days of a soft opening, the Alley will be full time starting on Saturday.



As Eater previously reported on the Alley:

With the aid of social media, Alley’s Instagrammable sweet drinks and decor have attracted fervent milk tea lovers to line up for hours for a sip of tea whenever a new store opens. Chinese people coin tea shops like the Alley as the “internet celebrity tea,” meaning the tea goes viral overnight on social media, like internet celebrities.

In the upcoming New York Alley, customers can pick a drink from a menu of two dozens teas that range from bubble tea to fruit tea. “Brown sugar deerioca” — the brand’s logo is a deer head — is a signature milk-based sweet drink with no tea in it. Alley’s other popular drinks are made of fresh milk and local black or green tea. The tapioca pearls, or what the Alley calls deerioca, are made by the restaurant.

Speaking of lines, EVG reader Sheila shared this photo from Sunday... she counted about 40 people waiting to enter...

Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea signage arrives on St. Mark's Place

The Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea signage is now up 33 St. Mark's Place.

As previously noted, the chainlet, with an outpost in Flushing, takes over the space from CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice, the Taiwan-based chain that closed in late May after nearly five and a half years in business.

This space here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue was Rockit Scientist Records until the spring of 2012. There was also, for a sec, Iris Cafe.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rockit Scientist Records to become a bubble tea shop on St. Mark's Place

Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea coming to former CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice space on St. Mark's Place

Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea is the next tenant for 33 St. Mark's Place. Signage is up now at the storefront between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

The chainlet, with an outpost in Flushing, takes over the space from CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice, the Taiwan-based chain that closed in late May after nearly five and a half years.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rockit Scientist Records to become a bubble tea shop on St. Mark's Place

MAD Toast House bringing bubble tea and toast to 9th Street

[Photo on May 16 by Steven]

A new cafe called MAD Toast House is coming to 332 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The Toast House, which serves a variety of bubble tea, sparkling water and toast-related creations, is having a soft-opening today ahead of a grand opening on June 10, per the shop's Instagram account.

Speaking of Instagram, a look at some of their offerings...

View this post on Instagram

Kumquat lemon spritzer🍋#kumquatlemonjuice##kumquat##lemon##tea##teatime##spritzer##金桔柠檬##金桔柠檬汁#juice#

A post shared by MADtoasthouse (@madtoasthouse) on May 23, 2019 at 2:31pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

Creme brulee toast#toast##honeytoast##hightea##afternoontea##teatime#

A post shared by MADtoasthouse (@madtoasthouse) on May 22, 2019 at 11:26am PDT

This space was home for 44 years to Clayworks Pottery, which was forced to close in the fall of 2017 thanks to predatory landlord Raphael Toledano.

Spiritea debuts on 2nd Avenue

Spiritea is now open on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Fifth Street.

This is the second outpost (third counting the one TK in Irvine, Calif.) for the fruit-and-milk tea shop, whose first location is in Vancouver.

EVG reader Carol from East 5th Street shared the opening news as well as these photos...







Spiritea reportedly brews all of their teas on the spot in a special Teapresso machine.

And here's a look at their offerings...



The space has gone under a drastic renovation in recent months... it had been vacant since 100% Healthy Blend (or maybe just Healthy Blend) closed after three months in November 2016. Previous tenants include the Mexican restaurants Dahlia's and Mary Ann's.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Tea time for 2nd Avenue and 5th Street

The Alley signage arrives on Cooper Square; more bubble tea on the way

Signage is up at 68 Cooper Square (across from Cooper Union) for The Alley, marking the first NYC location for the growing Taiwanese bubble tea chain.

Cutting and pasting this next section via Eater, who first reported on the Alley's June arrival:

With the aid of social media, Alley’s Instagrammable sweet drinks and decor have attracted fervent milk tea lovers to line up for hours for a sip of tea whenever a new store opens. Chinese people coin tea shops like the Alley as the “internet celebrity tea,” meaning the tea goes viral overnight on social media, like internet celebrities.

In the upcoming New York Alley, customers can pick a drink from a menu of two dozens teas that range from bubble tea to fruit tea. “Brown sugar deerioca” — the brand’s logo is a deer head — is a signature milk-based sweet drink with no tea in it. Alley’s other popular drinks are made of fresh milk and local black or green tea. The tapioca pearls, or what the Alley calls deerioca, are made by the restaurant.

The Alley abandons artificial syrup, instead using a syrup it makes from Taiwanese brown cane sugar. All the ingredients, save for fresh fruits, will be imported from Taiwan.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Alley Tea (@thealley.usa) on May 17, 2019 at 11:00am PDT

Tea time for 2nd Avenue and 5th Street

Signage is up for the new tenant at 300 E. Fifth. at Second Avenue — Spiritea (thanks to Carol from East 5th Street and Derek Berg for the tip!) ...



This is the second outpost for the fruit-and-milk tea shop, whose first location is in Richmond outside Vancouver (one is also opening in Irvine, Calif.).



A local food site had this to say about the location that opened in late 2018 in Richmond, B.C.:

What sets Spiritea apart from other tea shops is that they brew all of their teas on the spot in a special Teapresso machine. They use premium tea leaves, fresh fruit, Avalon Dairy organic milk and pure cane sugar made in France. Their focus is to provide the freshest and highest quality ingredients without the use of artificial fruit syrups or powders.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SPIRITEA DRINKS (@spiriteadrinks) on Jan 7, 2019 at 3:42pm PST

Signage here points to an opening this month.

Workers have been renovating this corner space, which was Mary Ann's for years before the Mexican restaurant morphed into Dahlia's.

The storefront has sat empty since 100% Healthy Blend (or maybe just Healthy Blend) closed after three months in November 2016.

ViVi back in bubble tea action on Allen after 2-month DOH-related closure

The ViVi Bubble Tea outpost on Allen Street just south of Houston reopened late last week after a two-month stint on the temporarily closed list.

The DOH ordered the chainlet closed after an inspection on Oct. 1 turned up 79 violation points, including for "Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan."

The operators of this ViVi location renovated the interior during the time off, and received the OK to reopen after a Dec. 3 follow-up inspection only turned up 2 violation points.

There are nearly 30 ViVis in NYC, including one on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue and Third Avenue at Ninth Street.

Mi Tea now serving up the cheese tea on St. Mark's Place

That Mi Tea location on 19-23 St. Mark's Place that I mentioned back on Aug. 14 is now up and running... EVG Bubble Tea District Correspondent Steven shared these photos here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue yesterday...



This is the fifth U.S. branch (there's one in Flushing) for the Hangzhou, China-based chain with 1,000 locations worldwide. Their speciality: Himalayan pink salted cheese tea drinks.

And in other bubble-tea opening news, the Möge Tee outpost is now open around the corner at 69 Cooper Square.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More bubble tea for the Bubble Tea District (aka St. Mark's Place)


[The address in June 2008]

Here's your Möge Tee signage on Cooper Square

The Möge Tee signage arrived back on Friday here at 69 Cooper Square between St. Mark's Place and Seventh Street... As first noted on Sept. 4, this will be the third location for the Flushing-based bubble-tea business specializing in cheese teas.

This will be the second bubble/cheese tea purveyor to open in the immediate area. Mi Tea is coming to 19-23 St. Mark's Place as reported on Aug. 14.



This space at 69 Cooper Square was previously Cafe Zaiya, the Japanese bakery-cafe that closed in the spring.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Möge Tee bringing bubble tea and other teas to Cooper Square