Möge Tee bringing bubble tea and other teas to Cooper Square

There's a hiring sign up at 69 Cooper Square, where an outpost of Möge Tee is presumably opening here between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place...



This will be the third location for the Flushing-based bubble-tea business. (Franchising is available.)

Here's part of their menu...



They'll have some competition around the corner, where there are already four businesses on St. Mark's Place that sell similar products between Third Avenue and Second Avenue. (And a fifth, Mi Tea, is on the way.)

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

More bubble tea for the Bubble Tea District (aka St. Mark's Place)

[Photos by Steven]

Signage arrived yesterday at 19-23 St. Mark's Place for Mi Tea...



This will be the fourth U.S. outpost for the Hangzhou, China-based chain with 1,000 locations worldwide. Their speciality: Himalayan pink salted cheese tea drinks.

And they'll have plenty of competition on this block between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Other nearby options include Nohohon Matcha NYC, Spot Dessert Bar, Kung Fu Tea and CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice.

This storefront was previously Kulture, the tattoo-piercings-jewelry-smoke shop, which moved east several storefronts to the upper level of No. 31 in January.

Kulture arrived here in in 2011. Previously, the space was the short-lived St. Mark's Cafe, Red Mango, Quizno's and, until June 2008, the CBGB shop...

Pop-up bubble tea exhibit brings crowds to the Bowery

[Photo yesterday by Derek Berg]

The Boba Room made its debut Saturday at the Open Space Gallery on the Bowery between Third Street and Fourth Street.

Here's more about the pop-up exhibit via Gothamist:

Conceived of by Chaimi Food Studio co-founders Yanqiong Zeng and Iris Danlu Xing, Boba Room is an intersection of art, design and food that combines the duo's appreciation for food with their backgrounds and experiences in visual art, photography and food engineering and science.

And per The Daily Meal: "For those who are in the dark about boba, it’s an edible, chewy ball made from the cooking and cooling of tapioca. Boba is used in bubble tea."

The Boba Room is open through May 6 (from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week; 10 p.m. on weekends). Tickets are $10 each ($7 for kids or seniors).

Vivi Bubble Tea debuts this week on 3rd Avenue

And in bubble tea news, the Vivi Bubble Tea shop opens Wednesday on the northwest corner of Third Avenue and Ninth Street...



This is one of 30 Vivi locations nationwide, including on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

The space here previously had Organic Avenue has a tenant.

Vivi Bubble Tea coming to former Organic Avenue space on 3rd Avenue

Several Organic Avenue locations reopened late this past spring, as someone decided to revive the brand. (As Eater put it, OA was "being pumped full of life-restoring elixirs by a coven of benevolent kale sorcerers.")

The OA on Third Avenue at Ninth Street was not among the returning storefronts. At least for, say, bottles of Sweet Greens and to-go platters of Chikn' & Sweet Potato Waffles. Signage has arrived noting the arrival of the latest Vivi Bubble Tea franchise...



This location looks to be called the St. Mark.



Vivi now has 30 locations across the US of A.

The entire Organic Avenue juice-bar chain abruptly shut down last October. The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.

As for bubble tea. Saint's Alp Teahouse, purportedly the first teahouse to bring bubble tea to New York City, closed nearly directly across the street last fall.

Stubby cups and mini bubbles coming to East 14th Street (yes, more bubble tea)

PaTea is opening its second NYC location at 227 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... Per the signage: "The first Stubby Cup in the East Coast."



Here's more about the company:

[W]e are a family owned business and we strive to bring the authenticity of Taiwanese bubble tea to everyone.

The name “Patea” is from the concept of “It’s Party Time”. Our passion is to bring joy and a fun experience to all customers while experimenting on some of the newly innovated flavors.

The first PaTea opened at 135 Mott St. in 2013.

The previous tenant here, a mobile phone business, came and went very quickly.

Meanwhile, directly across 14th Street, the sign is now up for the incoming Pink Bear Ice Cream, which specializes in rolled ice cream...



Also directly across the street, another bubble tea shop.

Kung Fu Tea announces itself on St. Mark's Place

The Kung Fu Tea location at 241 E. 10th St. at First Avenue closed for business at the end of February. And as we first noted on March 3, Kung Fu Tea was moving over to 32 St. Mark's Place … formerly the home of 8 Crown Trade, the family run T-shirt and souvenir shop at No. 28 that was ousted by a rent hike last June…

As you can see in the photos, workers installed the new Kung Fu signage yesterday. No word on an opening date.


[Photo via @NFLtipster]

And here are your bubble tea choices within a very short distance… TKettle is directly next door while CoCo Fresh Juice & Tea is directly across the street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Kung Fu Tea closes on East 10th St.; move to St. Mark's Place apparently in the works

Vivi Bubble Tea coming to East 14th Street

Chinatown-based Vivi Bubble Tea is expanding… with a new shop coming this spring to 226 E. 14th St. (previously a small dress shop) between Second Avenue and Third Avenue… a poster announcing this mentions Gramercy…



Which is confusing. Because everyone knows that this area is either East Union Square … or the Northwest East Village …

Also, the check cashing place next door closed … and that space is for rent too…

Hawa Smoothies opening on East 14th Street

Signs are up now on a previously vacant storefront at 422 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Avenue A for Hawa Smoothies ...



There was also a Hawa location on East Broadway, though that is now closed ... the shop is reportedly named for owner Michael Wang's native Hawaii...

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

John Kioussis, the owner of Rockit Scientist Records, which closed on St. Mark's Place in the spring, passed along word of the new tenant: A bubble tea shop. Uh-huh. Seems about right these days.

"Thank you NY real estate," he said on Facebook.

Jeremiah Moss first reported on Rockit's departure. Kioussis told Jeremiah, "my lease is ending and i don't want to renew at the current rate, i asked for a rent reduction and was turned down. While business wasn't great, it just isn't worth paying $8500 a month."

ThirsTea opens today

On 10th Street just west of Avenue A. Previously.

Bubble tea joint coming to East 10th Street

Just west of Avenue A on East 10th Street. ThirsTea. The sign says they will serve "bubble tea, drinks and snacks." I can't even remember what was in here before. A kid's shop? A Brazilian jeans shop?