2101 P Street, NW
From a press release:
“Spot of Tea is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its first standalone bubble tea cafe in the Dupont neighborhood, located at 2101 P St NW. The celebration will take place the weekend of Friday, October 20th to Sunday, October 22nd. For all three days, Spot of Tea will be offering all drinks for half price during operating hours, 11AM to 7PM.
Founded in 2017 from the DC farmers market circuits, Spot of Tea’s newest location offers a striking maximalist upstairs seating area paired with counter to-go service. Spot of Tea’s menu centers around its playful bubble tea flavors, and will eventually be rounded out with a full coffee program and light bites such as onigiri.
Spot of Tea’s mission is to “spread joy with tea.” This ethos is reflected in everything they do, from the vibrant ceramic tiles that adorn the space to the vivid drinks that please the eye with bold contrasting colors. “To me, boba has always been about having fun,” says co-owner Dillon Chai. “I grew up in Shanghai, and some of my best memories were after-school boba hangouts or stopping by my favorite shop on my walk home. We want to carry on that spirit of fun by creating unique flavors you won’t find anywhere else, while still maintaining that familiar and comforting taste.”
Spot of Tea’s signature drinks include Blue Jasmine (jasmine milk tea colored blue with butterfly pea flower), Hibiscus Mango, Vanilla Taro, and a range of fruit tea and milk tea options. Specialty coffees include a refreshing Yuzu Espresso Tonic and a soothing Ube Vanilla Latte. The entire drink menu is designed to be delicious on its own or paired with freshly cooked boba. Every drink is made with all natural ingredients and real fruit, unlike the artificial creamers and flavoring syrups that are still used at most boba shops. By default, all drinks are made with oat milk (when applicable) and only lightly sweetened to highlight the ingredients’ flavors, but both sweetness and milk choices are customizable.
Spot of Tea was founded in 2017 at the local DC farmers markets and is now operated by co-owners Glenn Baginski, Dillon Chai, and DC native David Cooper. The trio had previously teamed up to start an on-campus boba shop when they were students at Rice University, and were persuaded by David’s push to open their shop in Washington. “DC has always been and will always be home,” says David. “I’m just grateful to have an opportunity to contribute to the community that I grew up in.”