Bubble tea, also known as boba milk tea, is a refreshing drink favored by many. For those who enjoy tea yet want something with a little more excitement, boba can be a superb option. However, not all boba establishments are created equal. Despite each having that iconic fat straw, some boba cafés are more alluring than others. For anyone living in the Kansas City area, there may be more options to choose from than expected.

When judging what makes a good bubble tea, preferences are different. Nevertheless, a good bubble tea café should typically have several key factors: properly sealed drinks, evenly cooked boba, discernibly flavored tea, wide flavor variety, helpful staff and a pleasant atmosphere.

The Fat Bee Café is a popular choice for Kansas City residents. Online reviews describe The Fat Bee Café as “a solid boba option to natives and visitors alike.” Favorite bobas include the Crème Brûlée latte, Mango Jasmine Green Tea and Taro Milk Tea. The milk powder is of high quality, and the tea doesn’t have much water compared to other locations. This concentration enhances the tea’s flavor. The boba is soft and chewy: a great combination.

Bruú Café hosts tea of great quality with a comforting atmosphere to match. The matcha latte and Royal Milk Boba stand among many of the other flavors as top-notch. The décor inside the café is quite pleasant to look at and the staff is very helpful. Despite the café being rather small and not ideally sized for relaxing, it’s located on a plaza, so anyone strolling around can stop for a good boba drink and continue on their way.

Ari Delights is an ideal location for any boba tea fan. Several people who commented on the café remarked on the reasonable prices and the wide variety of flavors, such as the Hokkaido Milk Tea and Ari Goddess. For any lactose-intolerant customers, the store has a dairy-free substitute that can be used instead of milk. The boba is splendid; standing out in flavor and chewiness while not distracting from the beverage itself.

People have expressed their love of Ari Delights’ atmosphere as well. The café has a quaint aesthetic, and it is spacious enough to make anyone feel relaxed. The staff is quite courteous and friendly to customers. The store even has cards and board games for customers to enjoy while they sip their tea.

The three stores listed—despite being worth traveling to once or twice—are not possible for many people to visit regularly. The closest of these three locations, the Fat Bee Café, is 25 minutes away from William Jewell College. The farthest, Ari Delights, is a 40 minute trip. That being the case, Sonic and Dunkin’ Donuts both offer choices for boba, despite not specializing in bubble tea. So if all one wants is a quick boba tea, they can simply head to one of these locations.

Coming soon to Liberty is the unique concept of cat cafes that have been gaining popularity throughout the country. Sugar Kittens is an interesting new cafe that will double as an adoption center for rescued cats. The new shop will be located at 603 C 291 Highway, Liberty, MO.

The cafe plans to have a wide variety of coffee, bubble tea, bakery items, and ice cream on their menu. The cafe will be sourcing many of their menu items from local companies such as Thou Mayest gourmet coffee and Cupcakes Unlimited. 

Along with the delicious sweets, another key feature of the cafe will be the 10 to 15 cats and kittens that will be featured for customers to relax with in their separate cat lounge. All of the cats at the cafe have been rescued in partnership with Kitty Cat Connection KC and will be available for adoption. The cafe will offer a unique environment that allows people to get to know and bond with the cats before they decide to adopt. 

Sugar Kittens also plans to have a retail area full of fun cat-themed items, purr-fect for cat lovers. There will also be pet care essentials like cat food, litter and toys that will be available for purchase in the shop.

Opening day has been announced as Nov. 10, and you can start booking your appointments now to hang out with the cats. Admission to the cat lounge is $12.99 plus tax for a 50-minute session with the cats and a waiver must be signed beforehand. They will also be offering a class for kids ages 10 and under called Kittens 101 that will teach them the basics of taking care of a cat. If you want the cat lounge all to yourself, you can book a private reservation for yourself, a birthday party or other events at higher price rates. Call 816-736-4000 or email Lacey@sugarkittenscatcafe.com to book your private reservations.

The cafe also hopes to host other events like movie nights, yoga and bingo where people will be able to interact with the cats.

Some of the cats that will be found at the cafe have been featured on the cafe’s social media sites, and it’s hard not to fall in love with all of them.

Check out their Facebook or Instagram accounts to meet the rest of the cats that will be available for adoption at the cafe.

“Hey, all you cool cats and kittens!” – while you are on their social media, make sure to take a look at Carol Baskin’s Cameo video that she did for Sugar Kittens Cat Cafe.

Even if you can’t take a cat home with you, the cafe operates as a non-profit organization, so it appreciates any donations that help them to continue their mission of finding homes for as many cats as possible.