Kiva Iowa: Bubble’s Boba Tea goes back for seconds

ELDRIDGE — In 2023, Bubble’s Boba Tea used a loan from Kiva Iowa to expand into the Quad Cities. It was so successful that when a new expansion opportunity came this month, owner Jen Hart knew exactly where to turn.

“Kiva’s enthusiasm, and their support of the people they work with, makes such a huge difference,” Hart said. “Kiva is like, ‘We see your vision, and we want to see you grow.’ ”

Hart says her goal for Bubble’s Boba Tea is to become “known for bubble tea and good food throughout the Midwest.”

Based in Eldridge, a city of 7,000 in Scott County in Eastern Iowa, Bubble’s already has expanded into Scott Community College in Davenport and the Niabi Zoo in the Quad Cities.

“Bubble tea is really fun, and people love to hear about it and taste it because there's so many different flavors and types,” Hart said.

“So when we're asking people to try it, we ask what their favorite flavor is and then find a bubble tea that matches. People either love it or hate it — and most people love it.”

Birth of business

Bubble tea originated in Taiwan before coming to the United States in the 1990s. It’s a drink that features jelly-like pearls made from tapioca, that give the tea unusual texture and flavor.

When Hart moved with her family from Arizona to Ohio four years ago, she wanted to introduce small-town Midwestern residents to other cultures. So she started with food trucks.

In August 2022, Hart and her family relocated to Eldridge, where they opened Bubble’s Boba Tea. The business took off, and Hart was put in touch with Niabi Zoo officials, who wanted to see bubble tea offered there.

That’s why Hart reached out to Kiva Iowa for the first time.

Kiva gives entrepreneurs access to a microlending platform to raise zero- interest, zero-fee, extended-grace-period loans. The loans can be for up to $15,000, and lenders can give as little as $25 at a time.

Hart says she worked with Kaitlin Byers of Kiva Iowa to successfully fund her loan and has received continuing support since then.

“Kaitlin was there for our ribbon cutting, and she’s been so supportive,” Hart said. “Every time I have a question, she’s gone above and beyond to be helpful. I felt very confident that we’d be able to count on Kiva to help us again if we ever needed them.”

Expansion

In March, Hart found an opportunity to open another Bubble’s Boba Tea location in Eastern Iowa, but she would need an additional $8,000 to make it happen. Once again, she turned to Kiva for help.

That campaign is currently underway, with two more weeks to go. It can be viewed at kiva.org/lend/2757675.

Hart said one of her favorite things is seeing a new customer discover bubble tea for the first time.

“We’re growing faster than we expected to at this point,” she said. “We are definitely still having to educate people about what bubble tea is and create the market. But people love our product and, once they try it, they keep coming back.”

To learn more about Bubble’s Boba Tea, visit the business on Facebook. To learn more about Kiva Iowa, go to https://newbo.co/kiva/.

Rob Merritt is director of communications at NewBoCo. Comments: rob@newbo.co