The Diffusion of Boba Tea into Collegetown
Boba tea (a.k.a. bubble tea) is a Taiwanese cold beverage with tapioca balls that has diffused into the United States over the past few decades. Although it entered the Bay Area in the 90s, it became more of a nationwide trend (specifically in NYC) in the 2000s. Panda Tea Lounge was the first location in Cornell’s Collegetown to sell bubble tea in 2001, but since then a few more stores have opened to sell the product–and many more, including Jansen’s Market on West Campus, have recently introduced the product on their menus.
Bubble tea, although a truly delicious drink, is definitely a trendy item to which teens are introduced by their “cooler” west coast friends. Therefore, it makes sense that the spread of the product has been exponential in nature in many college towns, including every Ivy League campus. The enjoyment of boba tea has a cascading effect; once one person has boba tea, he must introduce it to each of his friends, who will follow his behavior. The information of boba tea being delicious will certainly be convincing enough for each of his friends, and then their friends, to decide to visit one of Collegetown’s locations offering the drink. After calling the tea lounges in our Collegetown, I found a similar multiplicity which we often find with trendy items. One shop was opened in 2001, the next 2010, the next 2018. Could we see another opening in the next few years? I’m certainly in favor.
Source: https://foursquare.com/explore?mode=url&near=Ithaca%2C%20NY%2C%20United%20States&nearGeoId=72057594043050368&q=boba