August 2021 Re-reopening Updates

Hi everyone! Starting Tuesday, August 24, we will be reopening to the public. Here are the store policies during the initial phase of this process. There will also be some background information & FAQ about what’s been going on during our store closure below.

Menu

• Our normal menu will be available, including all of our Milk Tea flavors and toppings.
• Tea Frescas flavors will continue the options from July; Mango Green Tea, Blueberry Hibiscus and Strawberry Basil Oolong. We’ll have these options for the remainder of August.
• We will not be doing any seasonal specials this month.

Store Policies & Amenities

• All indoor seating and access will be closed (no restroom access). We’ll be taking orders and calling out orders at the door.
• Online order ahead will be available.
• Our outdoor patio seating will be open and WiFi will be available to customers.
• Our temporary store hours:
• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday - Thursday: 12pm - 6pm
• Friday - Sunday: 11am - 6pm

FAQ & More Info

• So… what happened?

We had a break-in through our backdoor in July where an individual destroyed our door and stole some things from our store. This happened overnight, so thankfully there was no direct physical harm or threat.

• Why was the store closed for so long?

A commercial door company assessed our door and were unable to perform a true door replacement and fix. The contractor concluded that the company would need to order materials and return with an additional person to perform repairs. The contractor sealed off our back door so there would no longer be any access, and gave us an estimate of 2 weeks.

The repair estimate of 2 weeks turned into 3 weeks, which then turned into 4 weeks.

• How did this affect the store's operations?

We felt we couldn’t responsibly operate as usual without proper back door access. From the daily hassle of taking out the trash to the extreme risk posed from the loss of an emergency exit, we decided this to be too much for our team. 

• Why the shortened store hours and no indoor access? Are things not back to normal?

When we were finally scheduled to have our repairs done, two contractors came in and began working the on the doorway. We were planning to reopen and go back to normal by the end of the week but then, I was informed that someone in their company had made a mistake because door frame they had was the wrong size. 

The wrong size. 4 inches, not 2 inches. 

So we decided that we couldn’t wait on their timeline anymore. Darwin and I decided to install a security door over our back entrance, and every morning / evening we would unseal / reseal the back with the pseudo-wall that the original contractor left us. This solution would allow us to operate safely and smoothly but it is only a temporary solution as we still await repairs.

We’ve cut store hours because we’ll have to add a significant amount of time to closing procedures to reseal the back exit, and we want these to be done before sundown.

We’ve decided to cut indoor access so that we can use the customer area for additional storage, prep, and personal space.

• When will you be back to normal?

We don’t have a timeline in place for returning to full capacity and longer store hours. But we’re working on it! Thanks for your patience & understanding.

-Ricky Lau