Uni Uni Bubble Tea recently opened at the base of KRE Group’s 485 Marin property in Jersey City, occupying a former leasing office. Those on hand included Jersey City Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Mira Prinz Arey, KRE President Jon Kushner, KRE Chief Design Officer Marc Kushner and Jersey City Councilperson At-Large Mamta Singh. — Photo by Jennifer Brown, City of Jersey City
By Joshua Burd
A new bubble tea shop has arrived in downtown Jersey City, where it’s leasing space at one of KRE Group’s most distinctive luxury apartment towers.
The operator, Uni Uni Bubble Tea, is now open at the developer’s 485 Marin property at the corner of 8th Street and just west of the Newport Centre mall. The new shop occupies a prominent storefront that was once the building’s leasing office, providing what the business described as an immersive environment with bright lights, green plants and a central unicorn statue to set the tone for the tea drinking experience to come and a menu of more than 40 drinks and 19 different toppings.
“I knew I wanted to open in Jersey City. I love the vibe here,” said Patrick Jiang, owner of the new Uni Uni Bubble Tea location, adding: “Our goal is to create a space where the community can connect, gather and celebrate small moments together. We are proud to announce our opening and proud to be a part of the Hamilton Park neighborhood.”
According to a news release, Uni Uni Bubble Tea launched in Chicago in 2020 and has since expanded to seven states. The New Jersey shop is locally owned and offers a menu that includes classic milk teas, tea lattes, fresh fruit teas, fresh milk drinks with pudding, sago slush, smoothies, fresh brewed teas and specialty drinks.
All teas are grown and harvested in Taiwan, the operator said, adding that the drinks are customizable. A variety of toppings are available, many of which are different flavors of boba, the chewy tapioca pearls that give bubble tea its name, distinct texture, flavor and appearance.
Uni Uni Bubble Tea also offers snacks and desserts, including croffles, a croissant and waffle hybrid served with a variety of toppings, the news release said. All of which was on display recently when the business welcomed KRE executives, Jersey City Councilperson At-Large Mamta Singh and Jersey City Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Mira Prinz Arey to officially open the shop with a ribbon cutting.
That came more than a year after Jiang leased the space, giving way to months of interior improvements and renovations. With 485 Marin, the business will see a large amount of foot traffic and a built-in customer base of hundreds of residents who live in the building’s 397 apartments.
The store also connects to 485 Marin via an interior entrance, giving apartment residents direct access to the shop.
“We went through multiple iterations during the design phase,” said Jiang, who has a background in real estate. “It was really important to us to perfect our interior design.”
The developer’s team noted that Jiang is already thinking of opening a second shop.
“KRE has been great to me. During construction. During lease negotiations. This is a landlord that is known for being great to vendors, which I really appreciate,” Jiang said. “We want to do future partnerships with KRE. Maybe we will look to do another location at some point since we have had such a great experience working with KRE.”
