New local bubble tea shop opens in LQ: Happy Tea Cafe

Happy+Tea+Cafe+is+a+new+bubble+tea+shop+on+Hwy+111.

Rebecca Salinas

Happy Tea Cafe is a new bubble tea shop on Hwy 111.

Bubble tea is a popular beverage nowadays enjoyed by people around the world — and lately, around the high school community. 

In La Quinta, a new bubble tea shop “Happy Tea Cafe” has arrived on Hwy 111. There have been many mixed opinions on it. It has been compared to a nearby shop, “The Bunny.”

Rebecca Salinas
The shop has the menu by the door and many plants for decoration. 

“I liked what I got. Oh my god, so they have like these [taiyaki] croissants,” said Giovanna Espinoza ‘22. “Hear me out, the croissants are really good.”

Espinoza bought three, adding that customers can get a discount if they order that amount. She definitely recommends them. She complimented her order with taro milk tea with boba. 

“The customer service was good, they were very nice,” she said. 

One of her friends ordered the rose tea and compared the taste to “straight perfume,” she said. But the business gave her a new drink, free of charged. 

“That was very nice of them,” Espinoza said. “Honestly I strictly get the taro because that’s my favorite, and I prefer Happy Tea’s taro milk tea over The Bunny.” 

Diego Castro ‘24 ordered the signature milk tea, but didn’t like it. 

“It just tasted like [expletive],” he said. “it was really bitter. I don’t know, that day specifically the servers were bad. Yeah, it was bad I wouldn’t go back.” 

Since Happy Tea Cafe employs many high school students, others are intrigued if their friends work there. This was the case for Zoe Vasquez ‘22. 

“liked the tea I got, the Oolong milk tea,” she said. “The servers were really nice, too, and it was cute in there. I really liked it.” 

I went out and tried Happy Tea Cafe as well. The shop had a cute atmosphere. There were some signs with quotes and a lot of plants. I liked the drink I got, which — like Vasquez — was the Oolong milk tea with tiramisu. I thought the customer service was good. 

As I received my drink, the employee told me that if they need any adjustments, they can fix it. For first-time goers or if you are trying something new, I thought that was really reassuring and impressive.

Rebecca Salinas
Butterfly lychee lemonade and Oolong milk tea beside a framed quote in the shop.

I went to the restroom, and saw that they had free feminine hygiene products available. I have never seen them in any other public restroom, it was very convenient.

Overall, Happy Tea Cafe seems like a great new place in the valley. It is an amazing place to enjoy your day with friends and family. This cafe is a place to have a great time with nice food and drinks. 

FIVE out of FIVE stars.


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