A new cafe with a twist has opened in West Bridgford serving fresh bubble tea and coffee. Bubble and Bean on Pavillion Road, just off Trent Bridge, opened its doors on Saturday, December 17, and has already got loyal customers who have come every day.
The restaurant has been under wraps since the summer with local residents eager to see what it would be. Bubble and Bean offers a menu of refreshing fruity bubble teas - a Taiwanese cold drink made with tea, sweetened milk or other flavourings, and balls or ‘pearls’ of tapioca - as well as sweet treats and strong coffee. There are also plans to develop a food menu in the new year too.
Owner Jojo Chen moved to West Bridgford ten years ago and is delighted to be opening her first cafe. She has always wanted to have a cafe of her own and describes it as a long-term dream.
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"I've always wanted a cafe and it's been my dream since I was a teenager. Since the lockdown when I was home all the time, I really wanted to find a job but my kids were in school so I couldn't do anything. So I thought it would be a good time to have the cafe now so I can be close to home as it's only five minutes away," Jojo explained.
"I told my friends I wanted to open a coffee shop but the bubble tea idea came at the end. My friends said there are Costa coffees or Starbucks everywhere so why not open a bubble tea shop? This way, when parents go for coffee then the kids can have more options and not just hot chocolate or juice."
She added: "It's a nice combination for families. People like to go out for coffee these days although they have machines at home. They like to get out of the house for a chat with friends, especially after the past two years. We want to make this a nice place where people can come with friends and family."
The cafe has been given a stylish makeover with lots of light, white walls and plants dotted around. Colourful pieces of furniture have been added along with a white Christmas tree. Despite being open since Saturday, the shop has already got a few repeat customers.
"We got our contract in July but we started work in here in September. Everyone kept asking when we were going to open and were trying to get a sneaky look inside through the newspaper on the window." Jojo said.
"Everyone has been really happy that we are open and we've had customers coming four days in a row now. It's a really nice area and the other local businesses have been so nice as well as they have come to say hello."
Jojo wasn't sure what to expect on opening day as they had planned for a 'soft launch' with no advertising but the cafe was packed with many items selling out due to the number of orders.
"People came from my children's school, their classmates and the other mums that I know so we were really busy on Saturday. We were busy until about 5 pm and we ran out of ice and tea. I was shocked because I didn't do any social media and had only told my friends," Jojo said.
Jojo is busy planning a new menu for the new year which will offer more than the cakes and treats that are on display at the moment. Customers have asked her to consider offering Chinese dishes but she is keen to add a twist with some lunchtime favourites such as paninis.
"We definitely will do food because there aren't many options around here. There is a coffee shop and Domino's pizza open during the day along with McDonald's but that's it. People have given me a lot of advice on what to offer but we will start doing food after Christmas in the new year as I don't know how much to prepare as people have gone home at the moment."
She added: " I've been asked to do some Chinese or Asian-inspired foods but I'd like to do paninis too as I love them. I could do paninis with some Chinese food."
The cafe will start offering deliveries in the new year too through apps like Deliveroo. Jojo will also be looking for more staff as the business takes off and the food menu starts. At the moment, it's all hands on deck for the family when it comes to helping out in the busy cafe.
"My husband has been helping on the weekends but only for the moment. After the new year, if the cafe is full then we will hire at least two more part-time staff as well for extra help on the weekdays as we will need that. This time of the year is quite quiet so the two of us will be fine."
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