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ROUND 4: OO TEA (SD) vs. 7 LEAVES (OC) 

OO Tea is a well-known boba franchise, that is located in the 99 Ranch Supermarket. Since it is located in a supermarket, there is no seating for the patrons. Thus when people buy from OO Tea, they often just buy the drink and go. The staff at OO Tea are very nice and work fast to get through their long lines. 7 Leaves is a must visit boba shop in Orange County. They are known to be exclusively located in Orange County, but are planning to expand their locations to Las Vegas and Houston. The atmosphere and staff at 7 Leaves is incredibly welcoming and friendly. They’re always very patient with all new customers and even offer samples of the drinks! However many locations have little to no seating. If you’re lucky enough to grab a seat then it’s a great place to study since they offer free wifi and printing. Both are commonly known to be a place to just order your drink and go, unlike other boba shops that have a sit down area. Despite not having any seating area, both restaurants have great business. They both have great reputations and online presence. OO Tea continues to attract long lines, even in a supermarket. Yelper Calvin N. shares that there are “7-8 different employees taking orders or making drinks,” so although the lines are long, they move quickly. Calvin adds that having many workers at once may also be a negative because it ruins the consistency since some workers may make certain drinks differently. Out of the two, I would highly recommend going to 7 Leaves. The hype around 7 Leaves is well deserved! Whenever someone is visiting OC they always tell me that 7 Leaves is their must visit place. Some even try to cram a 7 Leaves pit stop into their trip. For example Yelper, Katherine O., said that she “had 20 minutes downtime before my flight, so headed over to 7 Leaves.” Not only is it popular with  tourists, but it is also a popular location amongst OC natives. Many people often start their day off with a cup of 7 Leaves coffee. They are slowly starting to be named OC’s Asian Starbucks! 

Yelp Rating for OO Tea: 4/5 stars

Yelp Rating for 7 Leaves: 4.5/5 stars

Bobo Boba Battle Rating for OO Tea: 4/5 stars

Bobo Boba Battle Rating for 7 Leaves: 5/5 stars

Photo Cred: Tiffany Y. (OO Tea) and Hoang T. (7 Leaves) on Yelp 

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ROUND 3: SNOW MONSTER (Irvine) vs. BOBA BAR AND DESSERTS (SD) 

Snow Monster is another trendy, relatively new, “on campus” boba shop at UCI.  Snow Monster is known for their creative bottle designs, as depicted in the picture above. They have mason jars shaped like a light bulb and a camera lens bottle, both adorned with their iconic logo.  

Boba Bar is a well-known, dessert shop in San Diego. They are known for their puffle style ice cream and plethora of drinks. Their staff is incredibly welcoming and willing to help. They are ready to answer any questions you may have, all with a smile on their face!

Both shops are also recognized by their aesthetic artwork on the walls, where customers use as a backdrop to snap a photo of their drink and post on social media, which can be seen above. These pictures successfully reel in more customers, as people are interested by the aesthetic of the art and drink. The online presence from both shops are incredibly strong. Having a well-decorated shop helps with their online presence, because people are able to take prettier pictures and it enhances their experience at said shop.

Overall I would only go to either place primarily for their ice cream desserts and not for their drinks. I personally believe that the desserts at both locations surpass the quality of the drinks. . On Snow Monster’s Yelp, there are many other Yelpers that agree with me. Yelper Carah H. describes their tea as “is very overpriced for the product they're selling”, while the macaroon ice cream sandwiches as “very good” and “certainly worth it.” However, there are a plethora of people who do enjoy the drink options at both locations. Yelper, Kelsey G., calls Boba Bar’s green thai tea as the “bomb dot com.” So it will vary on your own taste buds and what you enjoy!

However if I had to choose one shop I would choose Snow Monster. Despite Boba Bar having a higher rating on Yelp, I think the Snow Monster is better overall because their branding is unbeatable. I admire the amount of effort they have put into their designs. By doing this they create their brand personality and build a name for themselves.

Yelp Rating for Boba Bar and Desserts: 4.5/5 stars

Yelp Rating for Snow Monster : 4/5 stars

Bobo Boba Battle Rating for Boba Bar and Desserts: 3/5 stars

Bobo Boba Battle Rating for Snow Monster : 4/5 stars

Photo Cred: Tina B. (Snow Monster) and Mellani L. (Boba Bar) on Yelp

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ROUND 2: KUNG FU TEA vs. CHA FOR TEA (Irvine) 

Kung Fu Tea is a very popular boba shop in San Diego amongst 200 other locations all across the country. The atmosphere at Kung Fu Tea is very cool and upbeat. From the sound of the blenders, the background noise of group conversations, and customers contemplating orders, the noise is constant. There are a handful of handmade, painted, and Kung Fu art decorating all four walls. They even have old martial arts movies playing on mounted TVs!

Cha For Tea is one of the popular, “on campus” boba shop at UCI. Unlike UCSD’s TapEx, Cha For Tea has a better reputation around campus. They’re known for their delicious food/drinks and fast service. Many people around OC will actually drive to UCI just to get drinks/food from Cha For Tea. Since they have just recently remodeled, they have a very modern atmosphere.

Despite being in two different locations, I believe that Kung Fu Tea has a better reputation amongst the two. Comparing the two Yelp pages, you can see that Kung Fu Tea has better ratings. Not only are they known for their drinks but they also put a lot of effort into their customer service and creating a fun atmosphere. The business manager, Elaine N., is seen replying to numerous Yelp reviews and makes sure to get in contact with the Yelpers when someone writes about a bad experience. For example Yelper, Justin Y., wrote about his disappointing experience and Elaine wrote back “ I am sorry to hear that we didn't apply the discount for the free topping. I will contact you privately regarding this matter.” Which then led to Justin coming back a second time and updating his review, saying that the second time around “did not disappoint.” This highlights the fact that the owners of Kung Fu take time to address issues and ensure their customers leave happy.

In my experience in OC, I don’t really hear many people suggesting that we go to Cha For Tea. However in SD, Kung Fu Tea is often suggested as the boba location of choice- I normally suggest going there myself. I think most people who go to Cha For Tea are people who are either affiliated with UCI or lives nearby; otherwise, the hype for this boba location is not as big and so it would not be a common place to know about. Yelper Joshua H. describes the shop as “usually packed with Zot Zot anteaters.” Cha For Tea doesn’t reply to negative Yelp reviews as often as Kung Fu Tea does, which could add to the idea that this on campus location acknowledges that they will always have business Although Cha For Tea’s reputation is better than UCSD’s Tapioca Express, they’re both similar in the fact that they can rely on their convenience on a university campus for business, rather than be concerned about online presence and reputation.

As someone who has lived in OC and SD, I would personally choose Kung Fu Tea over Cha For Tea. The service and drinks at Kung Fu Tea are unbeatable compared to Cha For Tea. Despite not offering any food on their menu, their drinks are great for dessert or a late night snack! It’s definitely a place that i would recommend to anyone who enjoys boba and a good time.

Yelp Rating for Kung Fu Tea: 4.5/5 stars

Yelp Rating for Cha For Tea : 3.5/5 stars

Bobo Boba Battle Rating for Kung Fu Tea: 5/5 stars

Bobo Boba Battle Rating for Cha For Tea : 3.5/5 stars 

Photo Cred: Peem T. (Kung Fu Tea) and Thanh P. (Cha For Tea) both on Yelp 

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ROUND 1: HAPPY LEMON vs. TAPIOCA EXPRESS (aka TapEx) 

Happy Lemon is a very well-known boba shop in NorCal and in the 626 area. They just recently opened a store in Convoy, San Diego this past summer. The atmosphere and service at Happy Lemon is very warm and welcoming. The cashier is always ready to take your order with a bright smile and all the workers are fast to get the drink out to you ASAP.

Tapioca Express is also a well-known Taiwanese boba franchise, with 38 locations in California, Washington, and Texas. The one we will be talking about today is actually located on UCSD campus! Tapioca Express is also often called TapEx for short. TapEx is very fast paced and quick with making drinks. Customers usually order while on the go and the employees are considerate in being quick and convenient. The workers are ready to do their job and many customers are there to just get their order and go.

Between the two, Happy Lemon has a much better reputation and takes their online presence a lot more seriously, in comparison to the UCSD. The owners of Happy Lemon acknowledge their popularity and therefore care more about their reputation because having good reputation is good for their business. They have significant online presence because social media is a very good way to spread the word about good places like Happy Lemon. Yelper Tammy C. writes, “Came while visiting the San Diego area based on someone I saw drinking happy lemon (multiple times) on instagram lol! I can say the hype is real!” Tammy is one of many customers who tried Happy Lemon because of its popularity online.

On Yelp, Happy Lemon has 4/5 stars while Tapioca Express has 3/5 stars. As many UCSD students and faculty may know, TapEx is known to make bland food and mediocre drinks. TapEx doesn’t necessarily have to care much about their online presence and reputation because they will always have good business with their location on a university campus of 30,000+ students. Despite people being aware of the poor quality TapEx has, they still make approximately 1000 drinks per day. On their Yelp page, many reviewers admit that they only go to TapEx because of the convenience and never because they actually crave TapEx. Yelper, Victoria L, said “Being the only boba store in UCSD, I guess I don't have that many options and room for complaints. It's definitely not the best boba I've had, but it's ok I guess,” which emphasizes the idea that going to TapEx is mostly for convenience.

As a UCSD student and boba connoisseur I would choose Happy Lemon over TapEx any day because of the overall quality and effort they put in maintaining their reputation. However, since I do not have the luxury of driving a car, Happy Lemon is not as easily accessible compared to TapEx. Thus when I am craving boba, I usually settle for TapEx due to the convenience.    

Yelp Rating for Happy Lemon: 4/5 stars

Yelp Rating for Tapex: 3/5 stars

Bobo Boba Battle Rating for Happy Lemon: 4.5/5 stars 

Bobo Boba Battle Rating for Tapex: 2.5/5 stars

Photo Cred: Julie V. (Happy Lemon) and Sarita L. (TapEx) on Yelp 

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