Brew Box, which opened for business on June 1, is located in the trendy area of Angel, Islington.
Childhood friends Eric Payumo, 29, and Albert Yanit, 23, co-own the shop, which started as an idea just six months ago.
The British-born pair wanted to take advantage of the bubble tea boom in London by spreading the far-eastern favorite to a part of the capital, which until now did not have a bubble tea shop.
Brew Box serves milk and fruit-based beverages like taro (ube), apple, mango, banana, vanilla and chocolate, as well as several types of tapioca pearls and homemade cakes.
On opening day, Brew Box offered its first 50 customers a free drink each. A queue from the counter to the pavement formed promptly.
Tols Malomo, a lifestyle blogger, had honeydew melon flavor for her first-ever bubble tea experience.
"I really like it. It's addictive. I think it's definitely something that could really take off. If you see this area it's quite, is upper class the word, or bourgeois? I think they really like trying something new.
"There's coffee shops a dime a dozen anywhere, but bubble tea, not really. So, I think it's going to really interest a lot of people. The product is good as well and I think people will keep coming back, and the hospitality is great," Malomo said.
Pinoy teenager Anthony Aragones brought two of his friends along.
Ricky Hazam commented: "It's really different in a good way. I haven't tried anything like it, it's really nice."
Tommy Duffy added: "It's different from most drinks. There are bubbles in it and it tastes like normal tea."
Aragones was particularly happy he won't have to travel into Chinatown anymore just to get his fix.
"I think it's really good. It's closer than central London, it's more convenient," he said.
Natasha Molle introduced her Swedish mother, Annika, to taro flavor.
"I like the taste, and the beads. I've never had anything like this. I had no idea what it was all about, but it's really nice, really tasty," Annika said.
Her daughter on the other hand was sampling a flavor she hadn't tried before - coconut.
"I've been to another place but they didn't have this flavor so I thought it was something new and interesting. It's really good," Natasha said.
The promotion lasted an hour and 30 minutes.
Yanit and Payumo were overwhelmed by the response they received from their family, friends and complete strangers.
"We thought we were ready. The outcome was just ridiculous," Payumo said.
"It's more than we actually expected and it's just a good thing really," he added.
"I can't explain how crazy it has been," Yanit explained.
"I'm just really happy that most of the people we've seen aren't actually our friends. I guess it shows the awareness of our shop."
The duo has high hopes for their business, which they believe is situated in a prime location and has the makings of something special.
"When people hear Brew Box I want them to see family. I want them to see closeness, sharing," Yanit said.
"We started this company with family and we want people to see that everything has been handmade from the tables, to the counter, wall, painting, everything. Family, it's all about sharing," he added.
Payumo said: "What we want to do is introduce it to a new crowd. We want a new following. Basically we want to be known as the Starbucks of bubble tea. Hopefully we can achieve it."
Brew Box currently sells around 15 flavors and its owners reveal they will be looking to add to their menu. In the pipeline are Filipino favorites like cheese (queso) and corn (mais).
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
