Vivi Bubble Tea is now serving up boba, popcorn chicken and other Taiwanese snacks in Vienna.
Franchise owner Yaya Zhang, who also owns Fairfax City’s Vivi Bubble Tea, opened her second location at 233 Maple Avenue East in the Glyndon Shopping Center on May 13. During its soft opening, the cafe is offering 10% off all drinks.
Business has initially been slow-going, in part because Zhang hasn’t devoted many resources to marketing yet, but she told FFXnow that the town has already made her feel welcome.
“I love this area. People around here [are] really nice,” she said. “When I tried to move in the furniture and machines, when I do it by myself, you see how little I am. Those people outside who saw me, they’re always asking, ‘Do you need help?’ I feel really warm.”
Vivi’s Vienna store might not be quiet for much longer. It will celebrate its grand opening tomorrow (Saturday) with lion and dragon dances at 1 p.m., a raffle with a $100 gift card as the prize, and a buy-one-get-one-free promotion for all bubble drinks. Customers will also get free merchandise with any purchase.
Zhang says she set her sights on opening a second Vivi franchise in Vienna more than two years ago, drawn by the promise of busy Maple Avenue and the limited existing options for bubble tea. However, it took a while for an empty space to become available.
As soon as Elite Tutoring Place vacated the suite adjacent to Pizza Vienna, the Vivi Fairfax team scooped it up.
“We think it’s a very good opportunity for us to locate a new bubble tea [shop] around the area,” Zhang said. “In the beginning, we don’t know how it’s going to work, but we try to do as best as we can, just like we did in the Fairfax location and see if we can get more customers to come in.”
The Vienna location has the same menu and operating hours as its Fairfax City counterpart, opening daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Vivi serves dairy and non-dairy milk teas, along with fruit and jelly options. The food menu includes chicken, shrimp and pork bento boxes as well as snacks like fried tempura, Taiwanese barbecue sausage and different flavors of popcorn chicken — the franchise’s “true highlight,” according to its website.
Zhang says the business is trying its best to fit into the Vienna community, offering to serve as a sponsor for local nonprofit organizations or high school sports teams.
“I have two children, so one in high school, one in elementary, so I love to support those kids,” Zhang said. “Nonprofit organizations, [if] they need any sponsors, come talk to me, and we also have catering. If anybody have a party, come talk to us.”
