The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Broadway Mary’s serving up boba tea
For limited time, Broadway Mary’s integrates Bubble Bear boba tea
Bubble Bear’s boba tea will be available at Broadway Mary’s for a limited time. The soft launch is today.
Broadway Mary’s, 939 Broadway in downtown Lorain, is leading a force of collaboration between Lorain businesses.
Bubble Bear’s boba tea will be available at Broadway Mary’s for a limited time.
The soft launch is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Aug. 27.
Bubble Bear’s tea is made with green tea, non-dairy creamer, sweetener, ice, chewy tapioca pearls and optional vegetarian flavor powders, said founder and Lorain native Joshua Garcia, 32.
The chewy tapioca pearls are made inside of a rice cooker and then steeped in brown sugar to give them a unique, rich flavor, Garcia said.
Customers can choose almond milk as creamer and utilize pure vegan flavor syrups.
Garcia said he is excited to introduce his business to the community.
“I can’t wait to share it with everyone,” he said.
Garcia moved to Indiana as a young child, but returned to Lorain four years ago.
His mother, Julie Duszik, opened a business, Jewels House of Teas, in the early 2000s which introduced him to both boba tea and entrepreneurship.
“My mom is the inspiration behind the business,” Garcia said. “She made that leap, so I thought why couldn’t I do the same.”
He moved to South Dakota in early 2020 to operate his business, but returned to Lorain due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“I was going to build out a boba tea food truck, but I made my way back out here,” he said. “I thought with the COVID delay, that I would wait, but I’m glad I didn’t.”
While living in Lorain, Garcia has run for both the U.S. Congress and Lorain City Council.
He said he hopes to make a positive impact in the county.
“When I moved back, my goal was to make a difference, and now I have that opportunity,” Garcia said. “I want to help make improvements in the community.”
Bubble Bear soon will make its debut on a food truck, which he plans to take around the area.
It will serve a variety of pretzels to accompany the teas.
“I bought a shuttle bus that I converted into a food truck,” Garcia said. “We’ll have sweet pretzels as well as chocolate and cinnamon that will go good with the tea.”
Broadway Mary’s owner Mary Fields said the collaboration is a main focus of her business.
“We incorporate other local vendors,” Fields said. “That’s who we are, and we’ve been doing it since the beginning.”
Broadway Mary’s exclusively uses local coffee, bakers and meat vendors, she said.
Fields said she likes to help other local establishments grow.
“Overall, it’s great for the community,” she said. “We get to cross market and invite in new clientele that enjoy boba tea.
“It’s a great fit for us, and will give our clients something new to try.”
Garcia said he encourages everyone to try boba tea.
“If you like smoothies, milkshakes or ice cream, then you’ll like boba tea,” he said. “It’s going to become a highly trendy thing, very quickly.”