Beans n' Bites, which opened in October, suddenly closed a few weeks ago. Owner Valery Yu could not be reached for comment.
Michelle Zheng, a San Francisco resident who has been searching for a place to open her own milk tea and/or coffee shop for two years, said Monday that she recently heard about the Cambridge space, checked it out and was sold on the quiet, neighborhood feel.
Zheng is originally from China; she came to the United States with her family when she was 20 years old. She loves to eat and drink and a stint at a coffee shop years ago piqued her interest in opening her own place. But she had a child and instead decided to go back to school to become a medical assistant. She worked in a hospital for eight years before recently finding a partner with whom to open the Palo Alto shop.
Like most milk-tea joints, Pop Tea Bar offers made-to-order customizable drinks. Customers can choose from black, oolong or green tea as the base; add flavors, milk and toppings to their liking; and adjust the ice and sweetness levels. Zheng said the teas are brewed fresh every four hours.
A classic milk tea goes for $3.50; extra toppings (tapioca, grass jelly, lychee jelly, fresh fruit and more) are 50 cents each. Regular coffee and espresso drinks are also on the menu.
Pop Tea Bar, a new milk-tea shop on Cambridge Avenue in Palo Alto.
For now, Pop Tea Bar will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, Zheng said. Head over for the official grand opening Friday, June 19, and get a free topping.
The new shop follows on the heels of two other Palo Alto bubble tea spots, T4 and Gong Cha, both downtown. Valencia Asian Market on El Camino in Palo Alto also serves milk tea.
