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New boba tea shop with an anime twist coming to Tampa
A fascination with Japanese anime and a love for boba tea both inspired one young man to start his own business, featuring both. Manga Tea Shop is the latest tea shop to open in Tampa.
TAMPA, Fla. - Inside a new Tampa tea shop, popular animal characters of the owner's generation are the centerpiece.
"There's a big culture of people out there that don't really have an outlet for what they're passionate about," said Matt Pengtakoon, the owner of Manga Tea Shop, located in Carrollwood.
He wanted to change that. Instead of waiting until ComicCon or MegaCon came around, fans of anime can gather at his shop to talk about their favorite characters and storylines.
"You're going to see some of the most popular anime in manga," he said, "I wanted to make this spot a very 'Instagram-able' place. A place that people want to come and post on their TikTok."
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At its core, though, Manga Tea Shop sells tea.
Anime decorations that can be found inside Manga Tea Shop
The menu features boba tea flavors, from classic options to exotic and unique ones.
Pengtakoon said, "We live in Florida. It's hot. Everything we serve here is going to be ice-cold!"
And, speaking of cold, the shop doesn't only sell tea.
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"We'll also offer mochi ice cream," shared Pengtakoon, "Mochi ice cream is going to be a big one here. I'm going to have over a dozen flavors."
The grand opening for Manga Tea Shop is April 29.
You can find the business at 5330 Ehrlich Road, Suite 133, in Tampa's Carrollwood area.