Bubble Tea Store in Knoxville

June 15, 2026

Bubble tea, also known as boba, blends brewed tea with milk or fruit and a chewy topping such as tapioca pearls, and a Knoxville bubble tea store lets customers taste and customize a drink instead of relying on a packaged option. In a shop, a buyer can choose the tea base, set sweetness and ice levels, pick dairy or a plant-based milk, and add toppings like classic black tapioca, brown sugar boba, popping fruit pearls, jelly, or pudding. Knoxville is Tennessee’s third largest city, with a population of roughly 195,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and the presence of the University of Tennessee along with growth in West Knoxville, Hardin Valley, and the downtown Gay Street corridor has supported a steady rise in boba shops across the area.

Knoxville shops draw on several traditions. Taiwanese-style milk tea, the original form of bubble tea, is built on black and oolong teas with milk and tapioca; Vietnamese-influenced menus often add strong iced coffee, pandan, and ube; and Thai tea brings a sweetened, spiced, orange-hued drink. Local shops mix these influences and frequently pair drinks with snacks and small plates, from Vietnamese bites and crepes to Asian-style finger foods and desserts. Because drinks are made to order, menus typically group offerings into milk teas, fruit teas, slushes and smoothies, specialty drinks such as matcha and taro, and a list of toppings sold as add-ons, so the experience centers on customization.

A bubble tea store in Tennessee operates as a food service establishment, so its core regulatory obligation is a food service permit rather than a contractor or trade license. The Tennessee Department of Health Environmental Health program, working through local county health departments, permits and inspects food service establishments; in Knoxville that work is handled by the Knox County Health Department, 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 Knox County reaches 9.25% (the 7% state rate plus the local option tax).

For customers, the most useful points are sanitation, allergens, and transparent pricing. Inspection results for food service establishments in Knox County are public through the Knox County Health Department, so a buyer can look up 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, since many shops use shared equipment alongside fresh ingredients. 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. Confirming that a shop displays a current food service permit and a recent inspection score is a simple way to verify it operates within state requirements.

Top Bubble Tea Store Providers in Knoxville

1. Tealicious

Address: 10720 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932
Phone: (865) 766-5329
Website: https://tealicioustn.com
Services: milk teas, fruit teas, slushes, Vietnamese iced coffee, tapioca and toppings, Vietnamese snacks and desserts, catering
Description: Tealicious is a family-oriented bubble tea shop in the Hardin Valley area of West Knoxville, owned by My Quyen Duong, who immigrated from Saigon, Vietnam in 1993 and built the shop around a personal love of bubble tea. The menu reflects that background, combining freshly brewed teas with milk, boba, and freshly cut fruit. Milk teas include classic, jasmine, matcha, strawberry matcha, taro, brown sugar with boba, and an Oreo option, while fruit teas span dragon fruit, mango, mojito, strawberry, and a citrus refresher, alongside dragonfruit, Oreo, and avocado slushes. Vietnamese touches appear in the espresso iced coffee and in snacks such as pandan waffle, chicken bites, banh trang tron, egg rolls, and che dessert soup. The shop offers catering, a rewards program, and board games for dining customers, giving it a relaxed, family-friendly feel.

2. Hello Tea House

Address: 722 S Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902
Phone: (865) 839-2889
Website: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hello-tea-house-knoxville
Services: milk teas, fruit teas, milk slushes, cheese foam fruit tea slushes, boba, crepes, bomb cakes, coffee
Description: Hello Tea House is a downtown Knoxville bubble tea and dessert shop at 722 South Gay Street, opened in October 2021 by owners Echo Liang and Eten Dong. Originally from China, the couple lived in New York for several years before moving to Knoxville as their family grew, then opened the shop in the heart of the downtown Gay Street corridor. The menu pairs boba drinks with sweets, offering milk teas, fruit teas, milk slushes, and cheese foam fruit tea slushes alongside coffee, plus crepes and “bomb cakes” that distinguish it from drink-only shops. Its downtown location near the Gay Street theaters and shops makes it a convenient stop for visitors and residents, and the mix of bubble tea with a crepe and dessert program gives it a broader menu than many boba-focused competitors.

3. Hey Bear Cafe

Address: 9036 Middlebrook Pike, Knoxville, TN 37923
Phone: (865) 985-0326
Website: https://www.heybearcafe.com
Services: boba tea, milk teas, fruit teas, toppings, Asian snacks, food truck, family outdoor space
Description: Hey Bear Cafe is a Knoxville bubble tea shop on Middlebrook Pike in West Knoxville that combines boba drinks with Asian snacks and a family-friendly setting that includes outdoor space. The cafe has grown into a small local operation with a second counter inside the Kerns Food Hall at 2210 Kerns Rising Way in South Knoxville and a Hey Bear mobile food truck that runs from the Middlebrook Pike location. The menu centers on boba tea with milk and fruit tea options and a range of toppings, served alongside Asian snacks, and the business also hosts markets and events and recruits food truck vendors and pop-up participants. The multiple service points, from a sit-down cafe to a food hall counter and a mobile unit, give Hey Bear a wide footprint in the Knoxville boba scene.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bubble Tea Stores in Knoxville

Q: What license does a bubble tea store in Knoxville 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 Knox County Health Department, 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 Knoxville?

Prepared beverages sold for immediate consumption are taxable at the full combined sales tax rate. In Knox County that rate is 9.25%, 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 the 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. Several Knoxville shops draw on 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 Knoxville boba shop?

Yes. Customization is central to 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 Knoxville bubble tea shop’s health inspection score?

Inspection results for food service establishments in Knox County are public record through the Knox 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 Knoxville 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 Knox 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.