Boba CuCue is Arizona’s most playful boba tea house

Bubble tea house Boba CuCue serves up a unique blend of Hong Kong-inspired drinks, Asian street food, and whimsical charm.

In just four years, husband and wife team Gary Lo and Vivian Chung transformed a small boba shop in Gilbert into one of the state's largest, most playful bubble tea franchises. Boba CuCue began as a passion project during the pandemic. The founders realized there was big demand for this sweet treat and quickly opened multiple locations across the Valley, in Tucson, Camp Verde, Marana, Las Vegas, and New Mexico.

With a menu of vibrant flavors and walls adorned with custom character toys, Boba CuCue offers more than just tea — it’s a multi-sensory vibe where creativity and crave-worthy treats come together, keeping customers hooked with every sip and every claw machine win.

Lo and Chung opened their first boba tea house in 2020 at Cooper and Warner Roads in Gilbert, just as the pandemic hit. Despite the obvious challenges, they were able to keep their doors open. "I kept my mask on and tried to make friends," Lo recalls, as customers craved something cheerful during the difficult times.

Lo explains the inspiration behind their venture: "I grew up in Hong Kong, where we loved drinking tea and milk tea." After moving to Arizona in 2015, the couple noticed a need for authentic boba spots in the Valley. “There were great boba shops in L.A. and New York, so I thought, why not start one here in metro Phoenix? We know how to make good drinks, so we opened our first location in Gilbert.”

The name "CuCue" represents Lo's playful interpretation of how a baby cries when they don’t get a desired toy or treat — and you'll heart these cute cries in their stores.
Boba tea, a Taiwanese creation from the 1980s, features a tea base, milk or fruit flavoring, and chewy tapioca pearls called 'boba,' which settle at the bottom of the cup. The Brown Sugar Milk Tea, made with black Ceylon tea, milk, and brown sugar, is priced at $5.49 and served in a collectible cup. It's one of their top sellers.

A famous Hong Kong dessert inspires the new Mango Coco Float. It’s a creamy mango smoothie topped with soft coconut ice cream, mini-sago boba, and pomelo — the perfect sweet and tangy treat.

However, adapting their authentic recipes to Arizona tastes wasn’t always easy. "We brought the original formulas from Hong Kong, but customers weren’t used to them," Lo explains. For example, they initially imported premium matcha from Japan, which tasted bitter for local palates. Lo adjusted to the now-fellow Zonies by serving larger, sweeter drinks. Even the cane sugar they use is imported from Taiwan. Their Matcha Milk Tea made with ground green tea powder became both a visual and flavorful hit. Dark boba pearls settle at the bottom, followed by a pastel green matcha layer, white milk, and a delicate brown tea hue on top. Its striking gradient draws attention and makes it a popular choice for selfies, while the added sweetness caters to Arizonians' tastes.

Another hit is the Taro Milk Tea, a vibrant purple drink that raised some eyebrows in 2020. At the time, a customer gave the shop a 1-star Google review because they thought there was something dirty in the cup, but it was just the fresh ingredients. "I said to him, it was made with real taro and authentic taro powder," Lo explained about the tropical root vegetable used to make the drink and create its purple color. "I said we washed the taro, cut the skin, and steamed it. Then we blend it and put it in the drink. I didn't want to argue, I just wanted to educate him on how we make our drinks. He then said, 'Oh wow, I never knew taro.'" From that conversation, Lo gained a loyal customer.

To this day, Lo and his wife hand pick taro from local supermarkets to produce the dessert drinks. "Our fruit teas are made with fresh fruit that we smash by hand," he adds while vigorously muddling fresh strawberries to mix them with strawberry jam, cold-brewed green tea, and crystal boba for a Strawberry Smash Green Tea.

"There’s a lot of hard work behind each cup," he says. "The lively night markets of Asia inspire these, and we bring that experience to all our shops."

In addition to their drinks, Boba CuCue serves the Hong Kong-style street food dim sum. Options include pork, chicken, vegetable dumplings, and steamed baos — soft buns filled with ingredients like barbecue pork or chicken. The sesame lava buns are a must-try for those with a sweet tooth.
One of their most popular treats for kids, parents, and guardians is Waffle Pop, Hong Kong-style bubble waffle balls served on a stick in six flavors.

At every location, customers are greeted by adorable character toys displayed throughout the shop and in claw machines. "This is one of our foods, Takoyaki, and this is Siu Mei Dumpling," he says, showing us the dozens of plush toys at the Gilbert location. "We manufacture these machines and toys."

The stores' staff submits new designs monthly, and Lo and Chung select one for production. "We draw it, we copyright it, we trademark it, and then we make it. By 2025, we plan to have 100 different designs," Lo says.

But Boba CuCue isn’t just about fantastic drinks and cute toys. Lo has a bigger dream. "I want our creations to be loved nationwide. I hope the community will support us in making boba dining an amazing experience for everyone," he says.

It’s clear that Boba CuCue’s blend of playful atmosphere, delicious drinks, and charming collectibles keeps customers coming back — and this is only the beginning of their story.