Bubble Tea Shops That Could Still Stay Open Sold Out Their Pearls Within Hours of Opening

If you were to visit a blood donation bank in Singapore and looked very closely at the bags swelling with blood, you’d see something strange.

Pearls.

Not the gemstone, of course. These pearls.

Is there another pandemic going around where the blood of Singaporeans is congealing into little tapioca balls?

Nope. It’s just that Singaporeans drink so much bubble tea that they literally bleed it. Doctors were shocked at first, but then they tried bubble tea and then they understood.

That’s why when the gahmen announced that all bubble tea stores would close at part of the tighter measures introduced during the extended circuit breaker, everyone started panicking.

Some watched videos of other people drinking bubble tea while crying and some chewed on marshmallows and convinced themselves it was the same thing.

But then a miracle happened: some bubble tea stores were allowed to remain open because they were part of hawker centres, coffee shops, or food courts.

Upon learning this, Singaporeans bought so much bubble tea that some stores actually ran out of those beloved tiny tapioca balls.

Bubble Tea Shops That Could Still Stay Open Sold Out Their Pearls Within Hours of Opening

Within hours of opening on Wednesday morning (22 April), some bubble tea shops at hawker centres here had run out of pearls.

Long queues formed as those who didn’t manage to get their bubble tea the day before when all boba shops shuttered returned to get their bubble tea fix.

Mr Rick Koh, 64, who owns Dessert Monster, a bubble tea store at the Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market and Food Centre, said that he ran out of pearls one-and-a-half hours after he opened for business at 9am, reported TODAYonline.

Another batch of pearls was sold out by 2pm because of a larger-than-usual number of pre-orders he received for collection after 5pm.

But he wasn’t the only one.

Dot Sugar, another hawker stall selling bubble tea at Maxwell Food Centre, also opened at 9am, but ran out of pearls by 2pm.

“It is usually quite quiet, but today is unusually busy,” the owner said.

“We will cook more pearls tomorrow (Thursday) to cater to the increased demand.”

Soon, Minister Lawrence Wong will pop up in his pink shirt advising everyone not to panic buy bubble tea because everyone needs their boba fix during this trying time.

“Provides Comfort”

For 22-year-old undergraduate Ruth Sit, bubble teas are more than just a drink; they’re a source of consolation during a tough time.

“(Potentially) six weeks with no bubble tea is quite sad. I feel that bubble tea provides comfort to everyone, especially during this period.”

“My friends think I am crazy because (bubble tea) is not really… essential,” Ms Sit said.

What Ms Sit’s friends and other bubble tea haters don’t understand is that bubble tea is love, bubble tea is life.

You can take away our fruit juices, cakes, and barbers, but you will never take away our bubble tea.

Reader: Actually they can right? If they want to.

I mean, yes, they can, technically. I was just trying to sound brave on behalf of all bubble tea lovers in the country.

Reader: So what if they close all the bubble tea shops in the country?

Well, you could always make it yourself, in that instance.

Reader: Ha. Good one. Sometimes you crack me up.

If you’re also one who thinks bubble tea is life, you can prepare it yourself at home within ten minutes with this handy tutorial.

And in the meantime, you might want to watch this video on the 10 facts about bubble tea:

(Do check out our YouTube channel for more informative and entertaining videos!)