After a spike in business during the past two weeks, Boba Suite Tea House owner Glenda Nunez announced Sunday the shop will remain open on South Crouse Avenue.

‘All the paperwork is signed,’ said Nunez, who officially made the entire $25,000 down payment to the previous owners to keep the tea house open. She had exactly one month, from March 15 to April 15, to accumulate the entire sum. On April 2, Nunez said she was still short about $10,000.

The money was raised through Nunez’s personal connections – who have become investors in the business – about $1,000 in costumer donations and a large increase in business after social media announcements of the shop’s financial difficulties.

Nunez said the tea house has gained many new customers who came to support the shop, and she hopes they will continue to return. The Syracuse University crew team showed its support Thursday night, and Nunez said she was happy to keep the shop open two hours later to accommodate them.

Now that the down payment has been made on the shop, Nunez said there will not be any issues with further expenses.

‘The next payments are of $1,000 each, which is more manageable in the long term than $25,000 in one month for the down payment,’ she said.

With the future of the shop ensured, many new implementations will be taking place. New tea flavors, such as watermelon and vanilla, will be added to the menu, as well as more topping choices like caramel. Nunez said she also plans to start offering milkshakes, and more food items will be available in the fall.

Boba Suite will also be expanding its catering service of baked goods and bubble teas, and the staff is reaching out to artists in the Syracuse community to display their works in the shop.

Nunez said she is thankful to all who have come to purchase tea and will be doing promotional events in the near future.

rebarill@syr.edu 

Published on April 15, 2012 at 12:00 pm