HeyTea Opens in Allston

A chain of cheese tea shops with roots in China has expanded to a Boston neighborhood.

According to an Instagram post from the business along with a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, HeyTea has opened in Allston, moving into a space on Harvard Street. The new shop joins several others in New York and along the West Coast, and as reported here earlier, another shop may be coming to Newbury Street in the Back Bay as well.

The new location of HeyTea offers such options as fruit tea and milk tea, with the teas being topped with a thick cheesy foam.

The address for the new location of HeyTea in Allston is 162 Harvard Avenue, Allston, MA, 02134. The website for the chain can be found at https://www.heytea.com/

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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HeyTea Is Opening in Boston's Back Bay

It looks like a chain of cheese tea shops with roots in China will be expanding to Boston.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, HeyTea is looking to open in the Back Bay, moving into a space at 223 Newbury Street. Once it opens, the new shop will join several locations in New York, California, and Washington State along with others overseas, and expect to find such options as fruit tea and milk tea, with the teas being topped with a thick cheesy foam. 

The website for the HeyTea chain can be found at https://www.heytea.com/

[June 13, 2025 update: A poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page mentions that the Back Bay location of HeyTea is now open, and this is its second Boston location, as another had opened in Allston early this year.]

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Tea by the Sea Opens in East Boston

A brand new bubble tea shop has come to the waterfront.

According to a post from Caught in Eastie, Tea by the Sea is now open on Sumner Street in East Boston, moving into a space at The Mark luxury waterfront condo development. The post mentions that the new shop offers fresh fruit tea, bubble tea, cheese foam traditional tea, coffee, fruit yakult, and coconut milk slush.

Tea by the Sea is open from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM seven days a week.

The address for Tea by the Sea is 99 Sumner Street, East Boston, MA, 02128. Its Instagram page can be found at instagram.com/teabythesea.boston/

NOTE: We need your help, as Leslie Hurwitz, who is the father of Marc (the founder of this site) is dealing with health issues and some major related expenses. Please donate at https://gofund.me/76d8ba28, thanks!

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[More restaurant openings/closings from the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Blue Bottle Coffee, LimeRed Teahouse Both Coming to 111 Harbor Way in Boston's Seaport District

A coffee shop and a tea shop are both on their way to a new building along the Boston waterfront.

A poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page states (via a Boston Magazine article) that Bottle Coffee and LimeRed Teahouse are both planning to open at 111 Harbor Way in the city's Seaport District, with the former being a San Francisco-based coffee roaster that has locations in the Back Bay (2), Cambridge's Kendall Square, and Chestnut Hill, and the latter being a Massachusetts-based group of bubble shops with locations in Boston, Amherst, and Northampton. The article indicates that Blue Bottle Coffee hopes to open this summer while LimeRed Teahouse plans to open later this year.

The website for Blue Bottle Coffee is at https://bluebottlecoffee.com/ while the website for LimeRed Teahouse is at https://www.limeredteahouse.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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NOTE: Leslie Hurwitz, who is the father of Marc (the founder of this site) is currently dealing with health issues and needs your help. Please donate if you can at https://gofund.me/76d8ba28, thanks!

Teazzi Tea Shop Opens in Boston's Chinatown

A chain of Taiwanese tea shops with three locations in New York City has expanded to Boston.

According to a tweet from @FortPointer, Teazzi Tea Shop is now open in Chinatown, moving into a space on Harrison Avenue near where it intersects Beach Street. Expect the new outlet--which joins two others in Queens and one in Manhattan--to offer bubble tea, while fruit tea and lemonade may be available as well.

The address for the new location of Teazzi Tea Shop in Chinatown is 31 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02111. The website for all locations can be found at http://teazzi.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Happy Lemon Plans to Open in Jamaica Plain

A bubble tea chain with one location in Boston may be expanding to a second outlet within the city.

According to an article from the Jamaica Plain News, Happy Lemon is looking to open on Washington Street in JP, joining another location at The Corner Mall in Downtown Crossing. The chain, which first started out in China in 2006, is known in part for its rock salt cheese tea, while also offering milk tea, lemon tea, green tea, smoothies, and more.

The address for the proposed location of Happy Lemon in Jamaica Plain is 3193 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130. The website for the chain can be found at https://happylemonusa.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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The Shared Tea to Open in Brookline Village

A brand new tea shop is on its way to Brookline.

According to an article from Wicked Local, The Shared Tea is planning to open on Washington Street in Brookline Village, taking over the space that had been home to a women's clothing shop called Sana Belle. The post says that the new place will offer a variety of tea options (including fruit tea, cheese tea, and milk tea) along with smoothies and baked goods. If all goes as planned, The Shared Tea could be opening sometime this summer.

The address for The Shared Tea will be 229 Washington Street, Brookline, MA, 02445.

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Moge Tee Is Opening in Allston and North Quincy

A chain of tea places is opening two locations in the Boston area, with one of them taking over a space that had briefly been home to a chicken and rice spot.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Moge Tee is planning to open in the former Chic Chick space in Allston, while the website for the chain lists both the Allston location and a North Quincy location (on Billings Road) as "coming soon." Currently, the only other outlet of the shop in Massachusetts is in Amherst, with a number of other locations residing in and around New York City as well as others along the East Coast and in Michigan and Texas and overseas in Asia and Australia.

Moge Tee offers such options as cheese foam tea, fruit tea, milk tea, tofu pudding, yogurt fruit tea, uji matcha, and more.

The address for the Allston location of Moge Tee is 164 Brighton Avenue while the address for the North Quincy location is 54 Billings Road. The website for the chain can be found at https://mogeteeusa.com/

[March 19 update: According to its website, the Allston location of Moge Tee is now open. (It appears that the North Quincy outlet has not yet opened.)]

[May 31 update: A check on the place indicates that Moge Tee is now open in North Quincy.]

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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DavidsTea Closes All Retail Locations in the United States, Including Several in the Greater Boston Area

A Canadian tea company is closing all of its stores in the United States--including several in the Greater Boston area--as it shifts its focus in order to survive.

Eater Boston is reporting that DavidsTea it shutting down all 42 locations in this country along with 82 stores in Canada, with CTV News mentioning that the company has obtained court protection from creditors so it can remain in operation as it goes through a restructuring plan. Both articles say that the business is going to be concentrating more on wholesale and online business, with founder and interim CEO Herschel Segal saying that "we are certainly making good progress in creating a stronger business model for the future and ensuring the long-term success and sustainability of DavidsTea and our beloved brand."

Local outlets of DavidsTea that are shutting down include shops in Boston (two), Cambridge, Chestnut Hill, Hingham. Lynnfield, and Natick.

The website for DavidsTea can be found at https://www.davidstea.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Royaltea to Open Locations in Brookline, Waltham

A group of bubble tea shops known in part for an unusual-sounding type of tea will be opening two more locations in the Boston area.

According to a Patch article, Royaltea is opening in Brookline while another post from the Patch says that it will be expanding to Waltham as well. The articles say that the Brookline shop will open in the former Homebrew space on Beacon Street in Coolidge Corner while the Waltham store will open on Moody Street, with the two locations joining an outlet on Tyler Street in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood. Based on its other locations (including a number of shops in China, which is where it started out), expect to see a variety of teas at the new outlets, including cheese tea, a sweet and salty tea that typically includes cream cheese among its ingredients.

The address for the Brookline location of Royaltea--which hopes to open in late December--is 1378 Beacon Street, while the address for the Waltham location--which could open in February of 2020--is 331 Moody Street. The website for the business can be found at https://www.royalteaus.com/

[January 22, 2021 update: According to a tweet from @y2000k, the Waltham location of Royaltea is now open.]

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Boba Me Opens in Boston's Mission Hill Neighborhood

A bubble tea spot has come to a part of Boston that is starting to see more and more dining options.

According to an article from Eater Boston, Boba Me is now open on Tremont Street in a section of Mission Hill between Brigham Circle and Roxbury Crossing, with the place offering such options as smoothies, milk teas, green teas, and classic teas. The post mentions that Boba Me will also offer "flaming hot cheese fries" at some point, with the menu for the spot saying that those will be coming soon.

The stretch of Tremont Street in which Boba Me resides has seen such recent openings as Nachlo and Milkweed, and a board game cafe called Tavern of Tales is in the works there as well.

The address for Boba Me is 1520 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, 02120. Its website can be found at https://www.bobameboston.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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The Vintage Tea and Cake Company in Belmont Reopens Retail Shop

The person behind a wholesale and catering business that focuses on teas and baked goods has reopened her retail shop four years after it shut down.

The Tables section of The Boston Globe reports that The Vintage Tea and Cake Company in Belmont is open once again on Belmont Street, selling a variety of teas along with such items as scones, Irish brown bread, lemon squares, macarons, and coffee. The article mentions that owner Adel Donegan had shut down the retail shop in 2015 in order to put more focus into her catering and wholesale operations and spend more time with her growing family.

The Vintage Tea and Cake Company first started out in 2012.

The address for this reopened shop in Belmont is: The Vintage Tea and Cake Company, 129 Belmont Street, Belmont, MA, 02478. Its website can be found at http://www.vintageteaandcake.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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OneZo Is Opening in North Quincy

by Marc Hurwitz

Last month, we reported that a small group of Taiwanese restaurants known in part for their crispy fried chicken would be expanding to a second Boston-area location. Now we have learned that another Taiwanese spot is opening next door--and this one will be focusing on bubble tea that has flavored bubbles.

According to a source (Sarah Wu), OneZo is opening in North Quincy, with a picture sent to us showing that it will be located next to an upcoming location of Cheers Cut. Based on its website and information from our source, the Billings Road tea shop will feature bubble tea that includes freshly-made tapioca balls (which are also known as pearls or boba) in a variety of different flavors. This will be only the fifth location of OneZo to open in the United States, with three others being in California and one in New York City.

It is not known if there is an ownership connection between OneZo and Cheers Cut; if we do find information on any possible connection, we will post an update here.

The address for this new bubble tea shop in North Quincy is: OneZo, 19 Billings Road, Quincy, MA, 02171. The website for the business can be found at https://www.onezo.us

[May 23 update: Our source above tells us that OneZo has soft-opened in North Quincy, with a Yelp post confirming this--and based on other Yelp pictures, it appears that OneZo and Cheers Cut have at least a loose connection to each other.]

[Earlier Article]
Cheers Cut to Open in North Quincy

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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]

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Fruity Is Opening in Allston, Taking Over 89C Crepe & Ice Cream Space

by Marc Hurwitz

A tea shop on the South Shore is going to be joined by a new location in the city, and it looks like it is replacing a cafe known in part for its Thai-style rolled ice cream.

According to an article from Eater Boston, Fruity is planning to open in Allston, and based on the address given by the business, it appears to be replacing 89C Crepe & Ice Cream on Harvard Avenue. The new shop will join an existing location at the South Shore Plaza, and based on the offerings there, the new Fruity could be featuring green tea infused with fruit along with smoothies.

If all goes as planned, the Allston location of Fruity may be opening in April.

The address for Fruity (and the now-closed 89C Crepe & Ice Cream) is 77 Harvard Avenue, Allston, MA, 02134. Its Instagram page can be found at https://www.instagram.com/fruity_greentea/

[April 16 update: A Facebook post from the place indicates that the Allston location of Fruity is now open.]

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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]

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Sweet Heart Opens in Belmont

by Marc Hurwitz

A new spot for bubble tea and more has come to the western suburbs of Boston.

According to an article in the Belmont Citizen-Herald, Sweet Heart is now open on Trapelo Road, with the shop offering a variety of milk teas along with smoothies, milk foam, and classic brewed teas, and some snacks such as veggie chips and cake are available as well. Hours for Sweet Heart are 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM Tuesday through Sunday.

The address for this new bubble tea shop in Belmont is: Sweet Heart, 386 Trapelo Road, Belmont, MA, 02478.

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Tealuxe in Cambridge's Harvard Square Is Closing

by Marc Hurwitz

What was once a trio of tea shops will soon be down to just one, as its sole remaining Boston-area location is getting ready to close.

According to an article in the Harvard Crimson, Tealuxe in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge is shutting down on December 23 after more than 20 years in business, and approximately 8 years after its Back Bay shop closed. The post says that the Providence location of the tea shop will remain open, while Boston Magazine mentions that customers can also buy its products online.

Tealuxe, which first opened in Harvard Square in 1996, is one of two Brattle Street businesses closing in late December, as Crema Cafe is also shuttering on the same day as the tea shop.

The address for the soon-to-close Tealuxe in Harvard Square is 0 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for the business can be found at https://www.tealuxe.com/

Thanks to Universal Hub for bringing this to our attention.

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Gong Cha and Cheers Cut Opening in Former Hot Spot Space in Allston

by Marc Hurwitz

[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]

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DavidsTea Is Opening at the Derby Street Shoppes in Hingham

A chain of tea shops based in Canada is expanding once again into the Boston area, this time opening its first location south of the city.

According to a Twitter post from @DGoodison of The Boston Herald, DavidsTea plans to open tomorrow (Saturday. July 25) at the Derby Street Shoppes in Hingham. Based on its other locations, expect to see premium loose leaf teas--including exclusive tea blends--at the new shop, with options including green, black, white, oolong, rooibos, and mate, along with a variety of herbal teas.

The new outlet of DavidsTea will join several other locations in and around Boston, including Washington Street in Downtown Crossing, Tremont Street in the South End, Assembly Row in Somerville, The Street Chestnut Hill, and the Natick Mall.

The website for DavidsTea can be found at http://www.davidstea.com/

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Kung Fu Tea to Open in Brighton

A chain of Asian tea shops continues with its expansion plans into the Boston area, with a new location planned for Brighton.

According to a note (and picture) sent by GospelOfIHM, Kung Fu Tea is going to be opening on Beacon Street by Cleveland Circle, with the store moving into the space where Fruitee Yogurt has been. Once it opens, the new tea shop will join existing locations in Chinatown, by Symphony Hall, and in Allston and Malden. (Another shop is on its way to Somerville's Davis Square as well.)

Kung Fu Tea, which features such drinks as Kung Fu Bubble Milk Tea/Milk Green Tea, Red Wow Milk, Green Wow Milk, and Passionfruit Green Tea, has a number of locations across the country (with most being in New York City), along with business ventures in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and China.

The address for this upcoming Asian tea shop in Cleveland Circle is: Kung Fu Tea, 1916B Beacon Street, Brighton, MA, 02135. The website for the chain can be found at http://kfteausa.com/

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Kung Fu Tea to Open Locations in Chinatown, Somerville, and Malden

A group of Asian tea shops that has opened a couple of locations in Boston is continuing its expansion in the area.

According to its website, Kung Fu Tea is planning to open shops on Kneeland Street in Chinatown, Elm Street in Somerville's Davis Square, and Pleasant Street in Malden. Once they open, the three stores will join existing locations on Mass. Ave. by the Symphony T Station and Harvard Avenue in Allston, along with a number of shops in the New York City area as well as a handful in other parts of the country.

[June 5 update: Eater Boston mentions that the Malden location of Kung Fu Tea is having its grand opening today through Sunday, with a buy-one-get-one-free deal on some of their items.]

[October 3 update: A new post from Eater Boston states that Kung Fu Tea opens in Somerville's Davis Square this weekend.]

Based on the menu at the other locations, the new Kung Fu Tea shops in Chinatown, Somerville, and Malden will likely offer tea, coffee, slush, "Wow" milk, and flavored drinks.

The website for Kung Fu Tea can be found at http://kfteausa.com/

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