Fall 2005

I go off to Washington University in St. Louis and my dad suffers a bout of empty nest syndrome. He decides to set off on his own journey and lands on bubble tea, which is having a moment. He snags a franchise license to a bubble tea brand and the lease to a spot in Flushing’s Main Plaza. It’s low cost, high margin, and a way to guarantee profit (albeit very little) while he futzes around with his recipes.