High Wycombe town centre could be set for another bubble tea shop - if new plans are given the go-ahead.
Teddy Bear Bubble Tea have put forward plans for a bright pink shop at 4 Cornmarket, a Grade II listed building next door to the Lunch cafe that used to house the Pollenation florists before they relocated to Stokenchurch.
Set within a row of Grade II listed buildings in the centre of town as well as being close to the Guildhall and the Little Market House, number 4 could be given a revamp to turn it into another bubble tea shop, which would include a pink shop front, an illuminated sign, new vinyl flooring inside and replastering and repainting the internal walls.
Teddy Bear Bubble Tea has four other stores in Hillingdon, Hendon, Watford and Worcester Park and is preparing to open a fifth in Hammersmith on Friday, February 4.
The Teddy Bear brand has expanded from the pet grooming industry to the incredibly popular bubble tea market but still features plenty of pet references throughout.
The website describes walking into their bright pink stores as like "entering wonderland".
According to the JustEat menu for their Hillingdon branch, they sell items like honey peach bubble fruit tea (from £3.99), pink poodle bubble fruit tea (strawberry - from £4.49) and other fruity flavours like cherry, pineapple, lychee, green apple and watermelon.
They also feature popping ice cream and special milk teas in flavours like chocolate, matcha, mango and honey dew melon (from £3.99).
For those looking for a caffeine hit, the menu also has bubble ice coffees in flavours like caramel, hazelnut and vanilla (from £3.99) and 'dirty tea' from £5.39.
The former Pollenation store was posted online near the end of October last year for a rent of £17,000 per year.
Noting that the pink shopfront might raise a few eyebrows, planning documents submitted on behalf of the applicant insisted that "the town centre area contains a wide variety of shopfronts and brightly coloured fascias are not uncommon".
Describing their plans in more detail, the applicant added: "There will be no loss of historic fabric and the internal wooden beams will be untouched.
"The interior walls would be replastered and repainted white. Two interior wall partitions are to be painted pink. There is a new vinyl floor proposed internally.
"Externally, the shop frontage will retain the existing windows and door which will be painted a combination of pink and white."
They argue that the planned development will "preserve the conservation area and the Grade II listed building."
Bubble tea shops have been popping up all over the world as the internet and social media helped bring the drink that has been popular in Asia since the 1980s, and High Wycombe already has one bubble tea shop - Mooboo in the Eden Shopping Centre.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel