Bubble Tea Store in Memphis

June 15, 2026

Bubble tea, often called boba, combines brewed tea with milk or fruit and a chewy topping such as tapioca pearls, and a Memphis bubble tea store gives customers the chance to taste, customize, and adjust a drink rather than settle for a packaged version. In a shop, a buyer can pick the tea base, set sweetness and ice levels, choose dairy or a plant-based milk, and add toppings like classic black tapioca, brown sugar boba, popping fruit pearls, jelly, or pudding. Memphis is Tennessee’s second largest city, with a population of roughly 619,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and a mix of university crowds near the University of Memphis, the Broad Avenue and South Main arts districts, and the eastern suburbs has supported a growing set of boba shops across the city.

Memphis shops reflect several traditions. Taiwanese-style milk tea, the original form of bubble tea, builds on black and oolong teas with milk and tapioca; Vietnamese-influenced menus often add strong iced coffee, pandan, and ube; and Thai tea contributes a sweetened, spiced, orange-hued drink. Local shops mix these influences and frequently pair drinks with snacks, from Korean corn dogs and popcorn chicken to mochi, ice cream, and Asian-fusion plates, and a few Memphis spots fold in unexpected combinations such as boba alongside masala-spiced street food. Because drinks are made to order, menus generally divide into milk teas, fruit teas, slushes and smoothies, specialty drinks, and a list of toppings offered as add-ons.

A bubble tea store in Tennessee operates as a food service establishment, so its central regulatory obligation is a food service permit rather than a trade or contractor license. The Tennessee Department of Health Environmental Health program, working through local county health departments, permits and inspects food service establishments; in Memphis that responsibility belongs to the Shelby County Health Department’s Environmental Health and Food Safety Program, which inspects food service establishments in the county and makes results available to the public. The state food service establishment permit runs on a July 1 through June 30 cycle, and the annual fee is set by seating capacity: $210 for an establishment with 50 or fewer seats and $360 for one with 51 or more seats, so most small boba shops fall in the lower tier. A shop also registers its business with the county clerk once gross receipts cross the state threshold and registers to collect sales tax. Prepared beverages sold for immediate consumption are taxable at the full combined rate, which in Shelby County reaches 9.75% (the 7% state rate plus the local option tax).

For customers, the points that matter most are sanitation, allergens, and clear pricing. Inspection results for Shelby County food service establishments are public through the Shelby County Health Department, so a buyer can review a shop’s most recent score and confirm it posts a current permit. Anyone with a dairy, soy, or nut concern should ask about milk alternatives and cross-contact, because many shops use shared equipment along with fresh ingredients and powders. Disputes over advertising, pricing, or gift cards fall under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), administered by the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, which handles complaints about deceptive business practices. Checking that a shop displays a current food service permit and a recent inspection score is a simple way to confirm it operates within state requirements.

Top Bubble Tea Store Providers in Memphis

1. Boba Society Milk Tea & Snack Bar

Address: 17 S Highland Street, Memphis, TN 38111
Phone: (901) 308-1147
Website: https://www.facebook.com/bobasocietytn
Services: handcrafted milk teas, fruit teas, slushees, tapioca and toppings, Korean corn dogs, Taiwanese popcorn chicken, garlic noodles
Description: Boba Society is a locally owned milk tea and snack bar in the Poplar Plaza Shopping Center on South Highland Street, next to the University of Memphis, in a space formerly operated as Tenn Tea. The shop handcrafts its drinks, with a menu that runs from milk teas and fruit teas to slushees, and it pairs beverages with a small-eats lineup that includes Korean corn dogs, Taiwanese popcorn chicken, and garlic noodles, making it a study and snack stop for the nearby campus crowd. Boba Society has expanded beyond its original Memphis-area footprint to a second location in Lakeland at 9845 Lake District Drive, giving the brand a presence on both the city and suburban sides of the metro. The combination of made-to-order boba with a savory snack menu defines its appeal near the university.

2. Sugar Ghost Ice Cream & Bubble Tea

Address: 2615 Broad Avenue, Memphis, TN 38112
Phone: (901) 646-6711
Website: https://www.sugarghostmemphis.com
Services: bubble tea, milk teas, fruit teas, tapioca boba, ice cream, slushes
Description: Sugar Ghost is an independent bubble tea and ice cream shop in the Broad Avenue Arts District, founded by Mary Claire White, who had long sold jewelry and candles in the same neighborhood before bringing boba to it. The business began in June 2021 as a bubble tea trailer nicknamed “Pearl” that served the Broad Avenue area on weekends, then grew into a brick-and-mortar storefront pairing tapioca-based bubble tea with ice cream. The menu centers on customizable bubble tea built around brewed teas, with fruit teas and milk teas plus ice cream offerings, and the shop has since added a second location in Germantown on Poplar Avenue. Its roots in the Broad Avenue Arts District and its family-run start, with staff including White’s daughter, give it a distinct neighborhood identity in the Memphis boba scene.

3. The Bubble Tea Shop

Address: 135 S Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 550-2662
Website: https://www.instagram.com/bubbletea135memphis
Services: milk bubble teas, fruit bubble teas, fruit smoothies, fruit slushies, tapioca boba, masala street snacks
Description: The Bubble Tea Shop is a downtown Memphis spot on South Main Street in the South Main Arts District, opened in 2025 by owner James Suk Woo with a concept that blends bubble tea with Indian-influenced street food. The drink menu covers milk bubble teas, fruit bubble teas, fruit smoothies including a no-added-sugar option, and fruit slushies, all served with tapioca boba. Alongside the drinks, the shop serves masala-spiced shredded chicken, air fryer samosas with green chutney and yogurt, spiced fries with a house masala blend, and other grab-and-go bites, an unusual pairing of bold, spicy food with refreshing boba. The downtown South Main location and the fusion of masala flavors with bubble tea set it apart from the more traditional shops in the city.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bubble Tea Stores in Memphis

Q: What license does a bubble tea store in Memphis need?

A bubble tea store is regulated as a food service establishment, so its main requirement is a food service permit administered through the Tennessee Department of Health Environmental Health program and the Shelby County Health Department’s Environmental Health and Food Safety Program, which inspects establishments in the county. The state food service establishment permit runs on a July 1 through June 30 cycle, with the annual fee set by seating capacity: $210 for 50 or fewer seats and $360 for 51 or more, so most small boba shops fall in the lower tier. The shop also registers its business with the county clerk once receipts cross the state threshold and registers to collect sales tax.

Q: How much sales tax is added to a bubble tea in Memphis?

Prepared beverages sold for immediate consumption are taxable at the full combined sales tax rate. In Shelby County that rate is 9.75%, made up of the 7% Tennessee state sales tax plus the local option tax. The tax applies to the full drink total, including toppings, so a posted menu price is generally before tax.

Q: What is the difference between Taiwanese, Vietnamese, and Thai style drinks?

Bubble tea began in Taiwan, where milk tea made with black or oolong tea and tapioca pearls is the classic form. Vietnamese-influenced shops often feature strong iced coffee and flavors such as pandan and ube, while Thai tea is a sweetened, spiced, orange-hued drink usually served with milk. Many Memphis shops borrow from more than one tradition, so asking about the tea base and sweetness is more reliable than going by the style label.

Q: Can I customize sweetness, ice, and milk at a Memphis boba shop?

Yes. Customization is the heart of the format. Most shops let customers choose a tea base, set sweetness and ice levels, swap dairy for oat, coconut, or other alternatives, and add toppings such as tapioca pearls, brown sugar boba, popping fruit pearls, jelly, or pudding. Customers with a dairy, soy, or nut allergy should ask about milk alternatives and cross-contact, since shops commonly use shared equipment.

Q: How can I check a Memphis bubble tea shop’s health inspection score?

Inspection results for food service establishments in Shelby County are public record through the Shelby County Health Department, and shops are expected to post a current permit and recent inspection score on site. Reviewing the most recent result before ordering, and confirming the posted permit, is a straightforward way to assess a shop’s sanitation standing.

Q: How do I file a complaint about a Memphis bubble tea store?

Complaints about deceptive advertising, pricing, or gift card practices can be filed with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, which enforces the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). Concerns about sanitation or food safety should go to the Shelby County Health Department, which conducts food service inspections and can investigate a specific establishment. Keeping receipts and any advertising in question supports either type of complaint.