[Ed note: This article was updated on June 28 to reflect the fact that not one, but two spots appear to be moving into the space.]
It looks like a Taiwan-based group of bubble tea shops will be opening its second Boston location, with this one taking over a space in Allston where a Cantonese eatery had been.
According to a source (Chris Tam), Gong Cha is opening in the space on Harvard Avenue where The Hot Spot was for only a few months, with a "coming soon" sign shown out front. A check on the website for Gong Cha confirms this, showing that it plans to open sometime this spring, joining another location on Harrison Avenue in Chinatown along with other outlets in New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, and Texas. Once it opens, expect a variety of bubble tea options including ones with coffee, yogurt, brewed tea, milk tea, and more.
The Hot Spot first opened last summer but shut down around the end of the year, and at the time, it appeared that it was a temporary closure but the place never reopened.
The address for the new location of Gong Cha in Allston is 154 Harvard Avenue, Allston, MA, 02134. The website for all locations can be found at http://www.gongchausa.com/
[June 28 update: Eater Boston states that a Taiwanese restaurant called Cheers Cut is also opening in the former Hot Spot space, though it is not known how/if Cheers Cut and Gong Cha are connected. According to EB, other locations of the eatery--whose signature item is crispy fried chicken--can be found in New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida.]
[July 12 update: An update within the Eater Boston article indicates that Gong Cha and Cheers Cut are now open in the former Hot Pot space in Allston.]
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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]
