FAQ

What is bubble tea?

Bubble tea is a drink originated in Taiwan. It is a non-alcoholic tea cocktail based on fresh tea we brew every day. The drinks are not carbonated. What makes bubble tea even more special is the addition of edible ‘bubbles’, varying between jellies, tapioca or fruit pearls. These have funky textures and juicy flavors, creating special sensations on your taste buds. The best way to find out how a bubble tea taste like, is to come by and try!

What is tapioca?

Tapioca is a 100% natural product made out of cassava. It has chewy texture like gummy bears. Tapioca is prepared freshly on a daily basis. Next to that, it contains 0% fat!

What are the fruit pearls made of?

The fruit pearls have a gelatine coating that is made from seaweed (agaragar) and inside there is fruit juice. It contains no animal ingredients, so these are 100% suitable for vegetarians and vegans. These fruit pearls do not dissolve in the drinks and maintain their form. Through the large straws you drink both the liquid as well as the pearls. The moment these pearls are in your mouth, you bite on them and the flavour inside will pop out.

Do you put ice in your drinks?

For most of our drinks we shake it with ice to make them cold. While pouring out the drinks we seperate the ice from the liquid. We don’t want to cover up a low amount of liquid with lots of ice (unless the customer requests this).  There are however some ice blended drinks such as the Mojito and Four Seasons that contain crushed ice. Did you know that you can request ‘ice blend’ for practically all of our drinks?

Do you also sell warm drinks?

Yes we do! Check the Menu segment for the variations that we serve hot.

Can I mix flavors?

You can mix any flavor you like! Try for example a mango strawberry milktea combination, it tastes like Petit Gervais. Coconut with Taro is also a recommended combo!

Can I adjust my drink?

Different people means different preferences. It is possible to tell the barista to adjust the sugar level of your drink in terms of: extra sweet, half sweet, quarter sweet or no sweet at all. In case nothing is mentioned, the barista will follow the standard recipe. It is even possible to adjust the temperature of your drink in terms of: hot, cold, lukewarm (which means that it’s not hot and not cold, but in between).

What if I am allergic to *** , can I still drink bubble tea?

In every store we have an allergenes overview list available. You can also download this list through the following link. In case of a milk allergy for example, you can notify the barista. We can substitute milk with soy milk.

Do you have secret flavors?

No need to be shy. Ask our baristas for their signature drinks, they are happy to surprise you with new flavors. We always keep a secret stash somewhere behind. 😉

Does Bubble Tea contain alcohol?

The bubble tea’s we sell at 8tea5 do not contain alcohol. This goes even for our  (Virgin) Pina Colada and the (Virgin) Mojito’s. We do admit that it might taste good with a shot of bourbon. However, we have a lot of customers who are still underaged as far as alcohol goes. We take our responsibilities in this regard. We can ensure you that our drinks can hold their own with their rich flavours (without needing any alcohol).

How does the customer card work?

For every drink of  €4,00 (or above) you buy in our store, you will get one stamp on your card.  The stamp card is accepted at every 8tea5 store in Belgium and the Netherlands, and on events where 8tea5 is participating. When you have a full customer card with 10 stamps, you will get a reduction of €4,00 on your next bubble tea. If the price is higher than €4,00, you will only need to pay the price difference. So there are no restrictions on the kind of bubble tea you can to choose. Does that sound awesome or not?

I want to treat someone to bubble tea. Do you also sell Gift Cards?

How nice, and YES we do! We have gift cards with the values €5, €10 and €20. The gift card doesn’t need to be spent in one turn. It can be used in multiple turns. You can buy these Gift Cards digitally on our Online Store for Pick Up. In the location section you can check which location has an Online Shop available. Every location has their own local online shop.

Where does the name ‘8tea5’ come from?

‘8tea5’ is pronounced “eightyfive | ātēfīv)”. 8tea5 is a neologism that is made up of the words ‘eight’, ‘tea’ and ‘five’ and it is a homophone for the year ’85 (1985). One of the owners was born in 1985, also the ‘birth year’ of bubble tea. 8tea5 therefore forms a symbolic link between owner, nostalgia and bubble tea.

Do you also deliver?

We work together with Deliveroo, Takeaway and Uber Eats for our deliveries. In the location segment you can find their links for the cities in which we have a store. They usually deliver within a range of 3 km around an 8tea5 store.

Why are the prices of your drinks higher than other bubble tea shops?

We believe in working with the highest quality ingredients to make that perfect bubble tea for you. In comparison with other bubble tea shops, who mostly do business with a European based wholesaler, we are the only bubble tea chain store in the Netherlands who imports all original ingredients directly from Taiwan. The reason for doing direct business with Taiwan is that we want to keep in control of the quality of our products. As we do quality control by ourselves and ask to customize our ingredients, our products are slightly more expensive. For example: Our popping bobas contain 50% less sugar than other bubble tea shops. Therefore, our popping bobas have more fruit taste.

How should I drink my bubble tea with that seal on it?

Please check the video tutorial below and become a pro in drinking bubble tea!