Ami Tea storefront (Image: Elizabeth MacLeod)
Ami Tea House is the latest restaurant to open in Uptown Saint John, specializing in bubble milk tea.
Opening plans were delayed due to Covid-19, which will open at 73 King Street this week after a soft opening last week.
“The tea house is a gathering place for family and friends,” said owner Phuong Thu Le. “We bring a cultural closeness to the city, and we will make the city more special with the different cultures here.”
The idea for opening a bubble tea shop in Canada came together a year ago after Thu met up with her high school classmate in Canada just two months after arriving in the country.
“I wanted to create a good place with good drinks for everybody to enjoy a happy time together,” she said. “My husband and I opened the store with so much excitement – we both love this beautiful, historical city and especially its friendly and kind residents.”
Thu has a background in business, having been part of a management team with two other companies in Vietnam, including a tropical fruit processing factory. Ami Tea is her first business in Saint John, with other Ami Tea franchisees located in Alberta and Quebec.
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- Ami Tea wall art (Image: Elizabeth MacLeod)
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- Ami Tea’s Vietnamese art (Image: Elizabeth MacLeod)
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- Ami Tea’s strawberry fruity drink and bobas (Image: Elizabeth MacLeod)
“I believe that the faster I understand the culture here, the more opportunities I could find to be successful,” Thu explained, adding she received support from the Business Immigrant Essentials program (Economic Development Greater Saint John), the Enterprising Women Online program (Saint John Community Loan Fund), and the Newcomer Connections YMCA of Greater Saint John’s Sales and Customer Service Employment program.
Ami Tea also offers more than 50 bubble tea options along with seasonal drinks. The bubble tea is prepared with ingredients from Taiwan and North America, along with local ingredients.
“It is a challenge as well as an opportunity,” explained Thu. “The pandemic might limit the store’s operations, but Ami Tea Saint John is a comfortable place for people to enjoy.”
This story was originally published on Huddle.Today – an Acadia Broadcasting Limited content partner.
