The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Bubble tea shop may open in New Fairfield
NEW FAIRFIELD — Residents may no longer have to leave town to get their bubble tea fix because a shop specializing in the popular beverage may come to New Fairfield.
New York resident Zhelong Lin looks to open a bubble tea shop in the 900square-foot space formerly occupied by Peachwave in the Heritage Plaza shopping center off Route 39.
Lin said he's never owned a business before, but decided to pursue opening the shop with a friend who knows how to make the drink — the recipe for which originated in Taiwan and became popular in the U.S. over the last several decades.
Bubble or boba tea is a type of tea-based beverage that's sometimes mixed with milk and other ingredients like fruit, and features chewy tapioca pearls known as “bubbles.”
The closest bubble tea shop to New Fairfield is Papa Tea at the Danbury Fair Mall.
The New Fairfield Zoning Commission voted Wednesday to accept the site plan application for the proposed bubble tea business, with two stipulations — one being that all required department approvals and permits are obtained for the establishment.
The members also stipulated that the applicant return to the commission for approval before putting
up any permanent signage.
Lin said the store would have five employees and its hours of operation would be from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.
Since it would be considered a fast food business under the town's zoning regulations — which require one parking space for every 50 square-foot of commercial space for such an establishment — the shop would need a total of 18 spaces.
New Fairfield's zoning enforcement officer, Evan White, said parking at Heritage Plaza “shouldn't be an issue” for the proposed bubble tea business.
“The total site has 195 parking spaces and with the parking schedule, I think we're still in excess of over 45 spaces,” he said.