Bubble tea shop first of its kind in the South Okanagan
Bubble tea has been a popular delicacy in the Lower Mainland for years, and a specialty shop has finally popped up in the South Okanagan.
The new owners of Maui’s Teahouse are Prashil Maharaj and Kristina Flores.
While the novelty beverage can be purchased elsewhere in Penticton, they were the first people to operate a specialty shop for bubble tea in Penticton, so the couple had no way of knowing if it would be a success locally. But after opening their doors near the end of July, they say it’s been busy ever since.
“We loved coming to Penticton for vacation (from Surrey),” Flores said. “We found ourselves coming here more frequently. Then one day we realized, there’s no bubble tea here.”
So they decided to open a new business.
Maharaj said their tea is made with premium-grade ingredients that come straight from his supplier in Taiwan.
“We have best the quality powder and syrup,” he said. “When you take your first sip you’ll feel like you’re in heaven already.”
To ensure pearls are always fresh, a new batch is cooked on site each morning and leftovers are tossed out at end of each night.
The couple also puts a strong focus on providing excellent customer service and making sure their staff are happy.
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And by the end of 2022 there will be a robot joining their team to greet customers.
“That’s our next project so we’ll have a robot coming in pretty soon,” Maharaj said.
The shop is named after their dog Maui, whose face is the logo. And in 2018, Maharaj and Flores got married on the island of Maui in Hawaii.
It's located at 2050 Main St. in Penticton, and open seven days a week from noon til 8 p.m.
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