Bubble Tea Coming to Southie: Gong Cha Gets Zoning Approval from the City
Southie is about to get a little sweeter. Gong Cha, the international bubble tea chain, just received zoning approval to open a shop at 120-126 Emerson Street, near the corner of Broadway. The new spot will serve bubble tea, waffles, and ice cream, with seating for 20 inside a brand-new mixed-use building—the former site of Federico’s bike shop.
According to Axios Boston, it wasn’t without drama. The owners originally hoped to stay open until 11pm, but scaled back to a 9:30pm closing after pushback from the management at neighboring Tom English’s Pub. City Councilors Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy supported the project but raised concerns about the shop’s limited community outreach, with some nearby businesses saying they were left out of the process.
Despite the bumps along the way, the project ultimately won unanimous approval from City of Boston officials.
Southie, get ready: bubble tea is on its way.
Maureen Dahill is the founder of Caught in Media. Once a longtime wardrobe and prop stylist for brands such as Rue La La, TJ Max & Hasbro, she is a devoted lover of vintage clothing, Martini Mondays, Castle Island, AND a 4th generation South Boston native. Mother of three, married to Peter G.
Diversity is coming to Southie! Hate bubble tea having visited China many times but love the growth. This should be interesting… as a traditional Southie bar is already having issue with a China based chain. Let’s hope we can support each other and keep growing the neighborhood. Let’s get rid of these shutdown unused spaces… without a real estate, nail salon, or bank.