There are many tea shops around Providence and Rhode Island, but there is a large concentration of them on Thayer Street. Thayer is home to a diverse population from Brown University, RISD, as well as locals. With this mingling comes various tea shops specializing in their own teas and practices, but one thing they have in common is the heavily modernly popularized bubble tea.
Joining the ranks this month is Tiger Sugar, a bubble tea shop famous for their brown sugar-based bubble teas. With that, a total of 4 shops are in short walking distance of each other. Not to worry though as any that you choose to visit will likely leave you satisfied in different ways.
Checkout my review of another new Rhode Island bubble tea spot, here.
Tiger Sugar
Summary: One trick pony specializing in picture-porn-worthy brown sugar bubble tea. Great if you like a sweet tea and posting pictures.
Tiger Sugar evolved from a single shop founded in 2017 in Taiwan to now sporting locations worldwide. They opened their doors in Rhode Island, specifically Thayer Street in early June 2022, They are famous for their specialty: picture-porn-worthy brown sugar bubble teas. Indeed, they don’t have as many drinks as the other shops as even their “other drinks” are simply variations of their signature brown sugar caramel base tea.
Kung Fu Tea
Summary: Like Tiger Sugar but instead of specializing in one tea, they offer a large menu of modern sweet bubble teas.
Founded in New York in 2010, Kung Fu Tea took the world by storm with its hip modern take on bubble teas. Their menu is expansive, offering a variety of different flavored bubble teas along with how you may want it: iced, slush, hot, or anything in between. Their teas are often sugar-heavy and on the sweeter side. Great place to visit if you have a sweet tooth and want something more modern.
Ceremony
Summary: Traditional Asian teas, including their own take on modern teas, all using high-quality ingredients.
Ceremony is where you can take your entire family from your grandpa to your younger children, and everyone will be able to find a drink they enjoy. They offer a selection of traditional teas and also their own take on modern teas, including bubble. These modern teas use high-quality, traditional ingredients and aren’t as sugary as the other competing tea shops. With these quality ingredients however, their teas fairly fetch a slightly higher price.
Ten One Tea House
Summary: A happy medium between Ceremony and Kung Fu Tea / Tiger Sugar.
New to the tea scene, Ten One Tea House sports just a few locations in Massachusetts, having recently opened a shop on Thayer. Their teas aren’t necessarily traditional like Ceremony and they don’t dive into the deep end of sweet modern bubble teas either. They’re simply a happy medium between them all.
Vivi
Summary: Similar to Kung Fu Tea / Tiger Shark, they offer modern sweet teas.
While their teas are similar to that of Kung Fu Tea and Tiger Shark, they aren’t as expansive, only having locations on Thayer Street, Providence Place Mall, and occasionally at popup events. They have been around in the area for several years now, and like Kung Fu Tea, are popular with the surrounding college students who are seeking modern sweet bubble teas to enjoy.