How Boba Up Turned DIY Bubble Tea Into a Seattle Phenomenon
Seattle’s Boba Up is shaking up the bubble tea scene with its self-serve concept, vibrant energy, and standout drinks. Maya Lu shares how a family joke sparked a movement — and why it’s working.
The story of Boba Up doesn’t start with a business plan — it starts with a craving. Specifically, a teenager’s bubble tea obsession. “My daughter really loved bubble tea,” said Maya Lu, founder of Boba Up. “She could go from one stop to another, picking up eight cups in one trip.” One day, half-jokingly, she told her dad she wanted to open a shop of her own. The family laughed it off — until Maya’s husband came home and casually announced, “We found a place.”
That “joke” turned into reality quickly. With the lease signed and a space ready to go, the family had no choice but to turn a dream into a business. Drawing on Maya’s accounting background, her husband’s experience in real estate, and her daughter’s vision, Boba Up opened its doors at the end of 2018.
And from the start, they knew they wanted to be different.
A Bubble Tea Experience That Puts You in Control
At Boba Up, the traditional bubble tea model is flipped on its head. Customers buy an empty cup and then enter a world of DIY options: toppings, flavors, milk teas, fruit teas — all at their fingertips. “Your dream is in your cup,” said Maya. “It’s on you. Your power is you.”
This make-your-own approach isn’t just about customization — it’s about fun. The space is filled with energy, from colorful toppings to the lively buzz of friends experimenting with new combinations. “We want to keep the place fun, young, full of energy,” Maya explained. And it’s working. On busy weekends, the shop has up to 12 staff on hand, just to keep up with the volume.
Of course, self-serve isn’t without its challenges. “We’re basically babysitting adults,” Maya joked. “People drip, drop, make a mess — and it has to be cleaned immediately. If we don’t, the store starts to look disgusting, and it’s not fun anymore.” That attention to detail — even in the cleanup — is part of what keeps customers coming back.
Signature Flavors and Crowd Favorites
While the freedom to mix and match is a big draw, certain drinks have become fan favorites. “The number one flavor is always brown sugar milk tea with boba,” Maya said. “Then taro milk tea with boba — or with coconut lychee jelly. And number three is passion fruit cream bee with lychee jelly.”
That’s just scratching the surface. With dozens of combinations available, guests can tailor every sip to their exact liking. And if they get it wrong? Well, that’s part of the fun. “Sometimes people complain the drink isn’t good,” said Maya. “But we already know the problem isn’t the bubble tea. The problem is you,” she added, half-joking. “But of course we just offer to make another one — and remind them to sample first.”
Yes, Boba Up offers sample cups, too — a thoughtful touch that ensures every guest has a chance to find their perfect match before they commit.
Building a Loyal Following in the U District
Located in Seattle’s bustling University District, Boba Up is either “a busy store or a dead store,” according to Maya — and Boba Up is definitely the former. Thanks to strong word of mouth and savvy social media engagement, the brand has cultivated a loyal following. “We have a very big fanbase out there,” Maya said. “Our customer retention is very high.”
Still, staying on top hasn’t been easy. The shop weathered the storm of COVID-19 just a year after opening, pivoting quickly to launch a delivery platform. “We were just starting to crawl, and then suddenly we couldn’t crawl anymore,” Maya recalled. “We had to figure out delivery ourselves.”
Today, Boba Up continues to thrive — but challenges persist. Rising costs for ingredients, supplies, and labor make it harder to stay profitable, especially as inflation impacts consumer spending. But Maya remains focused on the bigger picture: keeping the experience joyful and the brand evolving.
Advice for Aspiring Boba Owners
Maya’s advice for anyone looking to start their own bubble tea business? Don’t just focus on the drinks. “You have to know what your uniqueness is,” she said. “What’s your specialty? Who is your clientele? You can’t just say, ‘My bubble tea is number one in the world.’ You need to know your concept, your marketing — everything else comes after.”
It’s clear that Boba Up’s uniqueness is what sets it apart — not just in Seattle, but in the bubble tea world at large. From its family-driven origin to its hands-on, customer-powered concept, Boba Up is a refreshing take on what bubble tea can be.