Fayetteville welcomes boba tea shop ArkanCha

Pictured: ArkanCha tea in the University of Arkansas bookstore prior to opening August 2017.
Pictured: ArkanCha tea in the University of Arkansas bookstore prior to opening August 2017.

Fayetteville welcomed another boba tea shop in August, but founder Wen Guo said his shop is nothing like the others. Boba tea is a Taiwanese tea-based drink with fruit or milk, usually with chewy, tapioca balls.

"What I bring is authenticity compared to what people around the Midwest have," Guo said.

Guo opened ArkanCha in the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville bookstore. Originally from Van Buren, Guo got his business degree from the university. He spent the last three years in Silicon Valley, where he would drink boba tea often. He planned to move back to Arkansas and started looking for work.

"I thought what's something I could do that could sustain me and not have me work for someone else?"

Guo's recipes are centered around the Taiwanese style of preparing the tea. Everything is made in store.

Guo encourages locals to try his tea at 616 Garland Ave. ArkanCha is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

NW News on 11/03/2017

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