Author: Aditya Pareek | EQMint | Founder Story
Mumbai, India: Bubble tea is quickly transforming from a niche experiment to a full-fledged lifestyle trend in India — and leading this wave is Easy Boba, the brand founded by serial F&B entrepreneur Adnan Sakar. In an exclusive conversation with EQMint Impact Individuals, Adnan opened up about his journey, expansion plans, and the strategy behind building one of India’s fastest-growing beverage brands.
A London Queue Sparked the Idea
The inspiration struck during a trip to London. Adnan noticed 50 people waiting outside bubble tea brand Bubbleology — despite freezing temperatures.
“If it’s such a big hit in minus one, why not in India?”
This insight ultimately led him to introduce authentic Taiwanese bubble tea to India, beginning with his first venture, Dr. Bubbles.
From Dr. Bubbles to Easy Boba: The Rise of a New-Age Brand
When Dr. Bubbles launched, the bubble tea ecosystem in India didn’t exist.
No suppliers, no ingredients, no machinery.
Adnan had to import everything from Taiwan, investing ₹40–50 lakh just to set up operations. After years of experimentation, localization and expansion, the brand grew to 65 outlets, building India’s first structured bubble tea supply chain.
Post-COVID, customer expectations evolved — and so did Adnan’s vision.
“People now want authenticity. So we replicated the exact international experience with Easy Boba.”
With every ingredient and machine imported, Easy Boba began offering the same taste consumers are used to seeing in global bubble tea videos and chains.
The result? 20+ outlets in just 18 months.
The Secret Behind Consistency: Control + Simplicity
Easy Boba’s rapid scale-up comes from Adnan’s two key principles:
1. Control the Raw Material
Adnan rejects the industry trend of cutting costs by compromising ingredients.
“You get Belgian chocolate for ₹200/kg and also for ₹1,200/kg. We use the ₹1,200 one.”
After meeting 10+ Taiwanese suppliers over eight years, he now works only with the highest-quality producers.
2. Keep the SOPs Simple
Unlike cafés that rely on skilled baristas, Easy Boba made the system:
- So simple that anyone can be trained in one day
- Limited to two base recipes for precision
- 100% dependent on centralised ingredients to prevent cost-cutting
This ensures that every Easy Boba outlet tastes identical — and premium.
Sustainability at the Core
Easy Boba has also turned sustainability into a brand advantage. The brand uses rice straws, which are biodegradable, firm, and far better than soggy paper straws.
“Sustainability doesn’t need to be expensive. Every brand should adopt it before it becomes a problem.”
Franchising on Pause: Preparing for a Bigger Leap
Easy Boba has paused franchising for now.
Why?
Because the brand is gearing up to raise significant funds for its next growth phase.
Upcoming Expansions Include:
- 200+ stores across India
- Ready-to-drink bottled bubble tea for retail chains
- High-end café model featuring bubble tea + Korean-inspired dishes like ramen
These cafés aim to attract families, corporate professionals, and older audiences — demographics currently underserved by the QSR-style outlets.
Bubble Tea: Not Just a Trend — A Global Billion-Dollar Category
Internationally, bubble tea brands have become billion-dollar companies.
India is now catching up.
“People call bubble tea niche. But globally it’s huge. A niche product becoming mainstream is the real opportunity.”
Gen Z is fueling the current boom, but globally bubble tea’s biggest audience is 30+ customers — a market Adnan is ready to tap with his upcoming café model.
The Journey So Far: Planned, Precise, and Proven
Unlike typical startups, Easy Boba didn’t go through uncertain experimentation.
“Dr. Bubbles was the learning curve. Easy Boba was the perfectly planned execution.”
Every mistake from the past was eliminated from day one — making scaling smoother, faster, and more predictable.
Rapid Fire Highlights
- Favourite bubble tea flavour: Matcha
- Next city launching soon: Bangalore
- If Easy Boba were a person: Authentic
- Entrepreneur he’d love to meet: Elon Musk
- One business principle he lives by: Build a brand, not just a business
Message for Young Entrepreneurs
Adnan wraps up with a simple yet profound reminder:
“A good business matters. But a strong brand matters even more.”
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Disclaimer: This article is based on information available from public sources. It has not been reported by EQMint journalists. EQMint has compiled and presented the content for informational purposes only and does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Readers are advised to verify details independently before relying on them.
