How to Find the Perfect Location for Your Bubble Tea Business
How to find a good location for Bubble tea business?
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Finding the perfect location can make or break your bubble tea business. It’s not just about having a cute café or great drinks — success often starts with where you set up shop. The right spot can bring in steady foot traffic, create loyal regulars, and help your brand stand out in a busy market. Whether you’re opening your first store or expanding to a new neighborhood, understanding what makes a location ideal is key. In this guide, we’ll explore what to look for, what to avoid, and how to find a place where your bubble tea business can truly thrive.
1. Choose High Foot Traffic Areas
Aim for busy zones where people naturally gather—think downtown Calgary, 17th Avenue SW, Kensington, or Stephen Avenue. These spots have high pedestrian traffic, especially among young adults, students, and tourists, which are core target groups for bubble tea. Being near retail stores, train stations, or campuses (like the University of Calgary or SAIT) can significantly boost walk-ins. Make sure to scope the area for accessibility for the impaired, as well as easy and safe roads during the cold icy winter in Calgary.
2. Tap Into Student and Youth Hubs.
Neighborhoods with a younger population are ideal. Areas around universities and colleges, like Brentwood or Banff Trail, have a large student demographic who regularly hang out and try trendy food spots. Being close to dorms, libraries, and gyms can keep your place buzzing during study breaks or after classes. A bubble tea business ought to thrive due to the welcoming nature and summer activities to pre-teens and teenagers. Most students love to grab a sweet treat either at the end of a study session or to celebrate the end of a tough lecture. So, having a business to cater to their needs and provide them with the serotonin needed for keeping on.
3. Scout Emerging Foodie Hotspots
Calgary is growing fast in food culture. Inglewood, Mission, and East Village are trendy areas seeing an increase in young professionals and food explorers. Setting up a bubble tea café in such emerging areas can give you an early mover advantage and stronger brand recognition as the area becomes more popular. Social Media has become a large factor in everybody’s life, hence making sure the foodie instagrammable sites are a priority for a booming bubble tea business.
4. Be Visible and Accessible
Even if the area has great foot traffic, your storefront must be easy to find and visually appealing. Look for corner units or street-facing spaces with big windows. Being close to public transportation (like the CTrain lines or busy bus routes) makes it easier for regular customers to swing by. Being accessible and acceptable to all your patrons are a big deal in leading a good business in such a challenging competition. Hence, the business must be accessible to dietary restrictions, mobility, space and environment.
One such bubble tea business is Y Not Today- Bingsu and Bubble Tea Cafe, they’re located at the heart of Calgary, and along one of the busiest and major north-south corridors of the City of Calgary. As accessible as it is by car, it is also equally accessible with the LRT transit system. Get off at 39th Avenue Station on the red line heading to Somerset, to enjoy some delicious bubble tea, bingsu and have a blast with friends or family playing a fun board game. Drop by Y Not Today to learn more about the ways of a bubble tea business by observing behaviours.
5. Analyze the Competition
Scout neighborhoods where bubble tea isn’t already saturated. For example, while areas like Chinatown or Downtown Core have many bubble tea shops, places like Beltline or Marda Loop might offer a great balance of demand and room for a fresh competitor. Visit other bubble tea shops and observe what works—and what doesn’t.
6. Check Zoning and Rent Prices
Ensure the location you’re eyeing allows for beverage or restaurant businesses under Calgary’s zoning laws. Also, compare rental rates across different quadrants (NW, NE, SW, SE) of Calgary. High-traffic areas have higher rent, so balance visibility with your budget—inner-city spots tend to be pricier than suburban malls or plazas.
Going through these steps will assist you in knowing how and where to establish your bubble tea business. Getting aid from the City of Calgary in mentorship is also a good opportunity. Moreover, attend networking events, business events, and small business opportunities to know how to get connections for your upcoming bubble tea business.
7. Visit local Bubble Tea businesses.
Go around your city and be a customer in various bubble tea businesses, mainly local so you know the way around your city. One of the businesses you should visit is Y Not Today Boardgame, Bubble Tea and Bingsu Cafe. It is a cafe flowing with rich culture and community. The menu is loaded with item heads such as Signature drinks, Bingsu’s, Milk Teas, Iced Teas, Ice Cream Teas, Smoothies or Slushies, Croffles, Snacks, Hot Teas and Crispy Rice. Each item skillfully crafted, this cafe has made a renowned name in the bubble tea/boardgame industry. Yet, it strives to push forward and has big plans for the future of the cafe. Visiting this cafe is a good opportunity to understand the value of local business in a city of franchise businesses. Nonetheless, one should take a look at Y Not Today Boardgame, Bingsu and Bubble Tea cafe to educate oneself about the nature of bubble tea cafes.
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