Market Common business now one of few Myrtle Beach tea shops offering tapioca ‘bubbles’
A new business offering “bubble tea” — the sweet, chewy drinks that have exploded in popularity across the United States in recent years — recently opened in Myrtle Beach’s Market Common shopping center.
Tucked away in a small storefront on Deville Street, East Coast Tea Bar serves up dozens of tea and smoothie varieties that customers can combine with “toppings” such as tapioca bubbles or the fruity, juice-filled “popping pearls.”
Owner Caitlyn Rapacz said she decided to open up a tea shop specializing in boba tea, as it’s called in the drink’s native Taiwan, after seeing that Myrtle Beach had so few places offering it. (Americans frequently call the drink “bubble” tea.) Back in Springfield, Illinois, where Rapacz moved from last May, there are boba tea shops everywhere, she said.
“It’s definitely nice to be able to bring what we want in a boba store here,” Rapacz said.
One of the few businesses in the Myrtle Beach area that sells boba tea is the grocery store Asian Mart, located off of Mr. Joe White Avenue and Highway 17 Bypass.
Originally, Rapacz said she planned to open a candy shop like she had in Springfield but was told Market Common already had one on the way when she called the shopping center to inquire about opening a new business. East Coast Tea Bar still sells candy but focuses primarily on tea and smoothies.
Like many newcomers, Rapacz moved Myrtle Beach after vacationing in the Grand Strand for years. She also got married in Myrtle Beach in 2015.
East Coast Tea Bar’s opening last month falls in line with the trend of niche restaurants and artisan retail businesses that have been popping up in the Market Common over the last few years. It’s the third business in the last month to open in the shopping center. The other two are 1229 Shine, an oyster bar, and Two Brothers WoodWorks, a custom-design furniture and decor shop.
The lack of other boba tea businesses is both a gift and a curse for Rapacz. Filling that gap allows her shop to immediately tap demand from longtime boba fans, but it also means some people have no idea what boba is.
Rapacz describes boba tea in four levels: Popping pearls, which are often fruity and filled with juice; jellies that are a little denser than Jell-O; tapioca crystals that are a little chewy; and then the traditional tapioca pearls that are dark in color and the chewiest of the four options.
For those who are a little freaked out by the concept, Rapacz said they can get their tea or smoothie without any “bubbles.” Though, she said she hasn’t had any customers yet who tried boba for the first time and didn’t like it.
“I had one woman that was scared. And then she tried it and she was so excited she had to sit there and drink every last bubble,” Rapacz said. “She was like, ‘It’s so good!’”
The woman, who was with her grandson, had green tea with honey popping pearls. After finishing her drink, Rapacz said the woman told her she would definitely be back.
Right now, Rapacz said most of her traffic comes from people walking through the Market Common, primarily on weekends. However, social media marketing by the shopping center and the swiftly arriving spring break season have Rapacz planning from an influx of new customers in the coming weeks.
“I’m excited for summer because I have a feeling we’ll be busy every day as opposed to just on the weekend. Some weekdays, we’re busy too, but it’s our first month and a lot people don’t even know we’re here,” Rapacz said. “But we do have a lot of repeat customers that really love the place.”
East Coast Tea Bar is located at 3091 Deville St., Myrtle Beach, near the intersection of Lewis and Deville Streets. Parking is available in a garage across the street.
