July 5, 2022

A boba tea shop has opened on the east side of Sioux Falls.

9999 Boba is open daily in a retail center at 3001 E. 10th St., across from Hy-Vee, and features milk and fruit teas in a variety of flavors with bursting boba and jelly pearls that can be added.

“It’s a popular thing nowadays for the younger crowd,” co-manager Johnny Phathaem said of the drinks that originated in Taiwan.

“We’re trying to come out here on the east side and still deliver something different with more special drinks, not just regular milk tea.”

That includes green tea refreshers that are fruit flavored. Other specialty drinks are the creation of Phathaem and his business partner Tony Choularath. Phathaem said his kids came up with some of them too.

“We just create and see which ones we really like, which one’s got the best flavor or what do you think is going to hit the market. And still care about quality too. We’ve got to deliver on quality.”

Opening-day specials last week ranged from Peango Bliss with mango and peach to Tiger Brown Sugar and Dragonfruit Lemonade.

Customized drinks are favorites with many customers.

“They can come in, they could pick their Thai tea, taro, watermelon, but based on milk tea, or they could come in and pick their jasmine tea –that’s what we usually use, jasmine tea — and any other fruits. We have over 14, 15 different fruits. We’ve got exotic fruit, we’ve got dragonfruit, all that.

“And then we’ve got toppings, bursting boba that have different flavors like strawberry, mango jelly. We’ve got coffee jelly, the list goes on. It will keep growing as we get more familiar and see what people like and what people don’t like.”

Phathaem said supply chain issues have delayed the opening, but he and Choularath wanted to start offering the drinks to east-siders even if they might run out of some items.

To start, hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Find all the menu options at 9999boba.com.