We recently connected with Eric Caraig, Matt Kwong, Benson Tran and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Eric, Matt and Benson,thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
Back in high school we all used to work at the same boba shop. We all ended up working at the company for many years and learning the business which lead to us pursuing our own store. We all studied business in school, so naturally we wanted to start our own brand and create something unique in the food industry. Matt pioneered AZ for us and shortly after Benson and I made our way to the valley. We wanted to bring a fresh take on boba and bring something new to AZ. In doing so we wanted to incorporate art, fashion and technology into food.
This allowed us to challenge the norm. Quality crafted drinks paired with refreshing Diamond Bars –– a variety of flavors each sculpted by hand into individual works of art. Food is viewed as art in many ways and we strive to push the envelope in creativity and artistic cultivation. The Diamond Bars are a fresh take on a timeless and satisfying treat that everyone knows, the popsicle!
Our teas put a spin on anything you’ve had before. We proudly serve all-natural, organic, and responsibly sourced teas from across the world, which we infuse with local fruits and natural flavors. We incorporate flavors and combinations that you won’t find anywhere else and look to craft drinks to the highest standards. The teas are brewed fresh daily and served out of a nitro tap system. We were proudly the first boba shop to offer teas on tap in Arizona.
Eric Caraig, Matt Kwong, Benson Tran, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
We all used to work at a boba shop in high school and from our experience there along with our love for art, fashion and food we created Pop ‘N Tea Bar. We operate similar to a marketing firm but with food and drinks. Pop ‘N Tea Bar is a concept that we continue to evolve with childhood influences, originality and growing up in LA and Southern California.
We are most proud of the Diamond Bars which came from an idea, to a drawing to an actual 3D printed popsicle mold. It took us over 2 years and plenty of challenges to get to the final product.
(Insert 3 pictures of the Diamond Bars)
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
When we worked together growing up, we loved the culture in Southern California since there were a lot of places to hang out, especially late at night. We were into the JDM car scene and enjoyed driving around and hanging out with our friends at different places. When we first moved to Arizona, we thought we would be able to replicate this same vibe. We quickly learned how different the culture is in Arizona, and what makes the Valley unique. We love that things are a little more laid back in AZ, but it took a while for us to figure out how people spent their free time.
Have you ever had to pivot?
After Matt moved to AZ for work, I would visit frequently to hang out and just enjoy a new sense of scenery. We would always talk about business and different ideas. Eventually that dream turned into reality as we began working on this food business idea in 2016. At the time I was still in Southern California, and decided to move to AZ to pursue the business opportunity. This was the time for me to try something new and step outside my comfort zone. It was a fresh start, and I was excited for what we had planned and where the business would take us.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.popntea.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/popnteabar/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/popnteabar
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pop-n-tea-bar
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/popntea
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLqFGkjOTkmW9h2RRGqwY5A/featured
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pop-n-tea-bar-phoenix-2
Image Credits
All content provided by Pop ‘N Tea Bar.