The caramel boba is one of the shop's most popular drinks.
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Boba Train is celebrating its one year anniversary by giving back to its customers.
For the month of September, Boba Train is taking 10 percent off all boba drink sales.
The tea shop is located at 47 Railroad St. and serves a variety of drinks and baked goods.
Owner Liliana Arteaga opened during last year's Labor Day weekend. She said her shop was inspired by her daughter, who introduced her to boba.
"She loves bubble tea, and she introduced me to this drink, being honest, the first time, when I tried it, I thought it was very sweet, and I told her. I told her it was a little sweet," Arteaga said.
But her daughter loved boba tea so much and they would have to drive far to get a drink. Arteaga thought there should be a closer option and her daughter gave her the idea to open her own space.
"Since we didn't have any boba tea around the area, she was making me drive to get boba tea to other towns, which I thought was a little crazy to make me drive just for a simple drink, right? So eventually she says, 'Mama, we don't have any bubble tea in the Berkshires I think maybe we should open one," Arteaga said.
Arteaga, who also owns Shots Cafe in Lenox, was thinking about opening a second business but wasn't sure if it would be an expansion of the cafe. The thought of creating drinks felt like the right idea.
"I love creating drinks, and I always thought about opening a second place to specialize in specialty drinks and then to add boba tea was a great idea, since it was something different to attract customers," she said.
But Arteaga had to learn to make the drink first. Just like at Shots Cafe, Arteaga likes to make everything from scratch and use only natural ingredients. She does this with all of her ingredients including the tapioca balls that she makes fresh every morning.
"Of course, I didn't know how to make a boba tea. That was the second task for me, to find a way to make a really good bubble tea. My first goal, it was, don't make it too sweet," she laughed.
Arteaga took a course in New York with a teacher from Vietnam who taught her how to make the teas herself. She said she learned to add the tapioca to any drink and will also make the boba teas hot as well.
The tea-based drink is made by adding milk and flavoring and the boba, or tapioca pearls, small chewy balls made from the starchy cassava root.
She said this drink is for all ages and everyone should try it, "boba tea is not just for kids, boba tea is for everyone and don't be afraid to try."
Arteaga hopes to increase foot traffic in the area and get others to try these drinks for themselves.
"I will like increase the traffic. And my goal is the people from different towns come and visit to us, come and discover the great experience of Boba Train."
One of her most popular drinks is caramel boba tea, as well as the Thai, mango, strawberry, and taro flavors. But her favorite is the jasmine boba tea.
The shop also offers hot and cold coffee drinks and teas, smoothies, lemonades, chais, pastries and cookies.
One of her favorite parts about the business is the opportunity to meet and speak to those in the community and customers who come from different places.
"Definitely part of being open for Boba Train is I really love socializing and meeting new people and new friends. And this is giving me the opportunity."
Boba Train is open from Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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