By Cameron Lee
June 19, 2025
Between 2018 and 2022, the number of bubble tea shops in the U.S. grew by 35%, according to ZipDo, an online market research platform. The popular Asian drink, which originated in Taiwan and spans a wide range of regional variations and limitless flavor combinations, is clearly a growing beverage trend.
While national franchises have moved quickly to capitalize on boba’s rising popularity, one Charlotte-area native is building a bubble tea empire of his own. Bobby Cain, a 24-year-old entrepreneur from Concord, has opened four B&K Tea Cafe storefronts since 2021.
Cain, the son of an adopted Korean mother and a white father raised in Charlotte’s NoDa and Plaza Midwood neighborhoods, grew up in the Concord-Kannapolis area. Along with longtime friend and business partner Kristen Compton, Cain launched B&K Tea Cafe after the pair worked together at YaYa Tea during their time at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. When given the opportunity to franchise, they opted instead to carve their own path.
Together, they now operate shops in downtown Concord and Kannapolis, while Cain also owns two additional locations in Mooresville and Huntersville. At the time, boba tea was a new concept in Concord and Kannapolis, and B&K was the first to open in the area.
A valedictorian at Rowan County Early College who earned a full scholarship to UNC, Cain recognized early on that educating customers about the vast flavors and textures of bubble tea would be vital — but he also had a hunch that people in the region were thirsting for something different.
“There are still people who have no idea what it is, what it’s about — like, where it comes from,” Cain said. “So there’s a little bit of education involved, but I like that. I think it’s important because Asian culture is so popular right now…it’s really important to educate people as well as sell them a good product.”
Growing up Asian, but mainly American
Though born and raised in North Carolina, Cain says he was often viewed as Asian by others due to his appearance — an experience that shaped how he navigated his identity.
He developed an early appreciation for Korean culture through visits to his uncle in Washington state, whose wife is full Korean.
“When we went to visit them, she made us all this Korean food, and so that’s where I kind of took an interest, because we never got that at home, in North Carolina.”
That curiosity grew over time. While at UNC, Cain took Korean language classes and served as president of MASH (Mixed Asian Student Heritage), a club focused on multicultural identity and heritage.
Despite feeling isolated growing up in Rowan County, Cain now sees that experience as foundational.
“I just laugh about it…because it truly has made me who I am today. And without all of that, none of what I’ve been doing with B&K or in business in general would’ve ever come to fruition.”
From Pop-Up to Permanent
B&K — named after Bobby and Kristen — actually began in a Bruster’s Ice Cream trailer, where Cain worked during high school. After graduating from college, and with the support of Bruster’s owners, he started selling his fruit teas alongside the ice cream, testing out flavors and building a customer base.
“I was 20 and had no idea what I was doing,” Cain said. “I just told people, ‘Try my drinks and come back next week.’”
To keep things simple, he started with fruit teas and avoided milk to reduce spoilage risk. Signature drinks like the Strawberry Sunrise quickly gained popularity. Cain worked two jobs — waiting tables at Iron Dish Korean BBQ during the week and operating his mobile boba stand in Kannapolis Thursday through Sunday.
Their grind paid off: Cain and Compton opened their first brick-and-mortar location in Concord in May 2022, followed by the Kannapolis shop in February 2023. The communities quickly embraced the boba trend, and expansion followed.
The Art of Flavor and Texture
At the heart of bubble tea is its signature ingredient: tapioca pearls, or “boba.” The chewy, lightly sweetened spheres made from cassava root give the drink its distinct texture. But Cain acknowledges they’re not for everyone.
“There’s definitely been customers who get boba and don’t like it, but I always try to find a solution, or I teach my staff to find a solution. Like, okay, well, if you don’t like the boba, then we would offer them strawberry poppers,” Cain said.
Poppers — often found at frozen yogurt shops — are juice-filled pearls that “pop” in the mouth rather than chew. They offer a different texture and appeal to those who still want to enjoy the endless combinations of fruit, milk, and tea that define the boba experience.
Community, Connection, and Culture
Cain, who earned a degree in information science and turned down a job offer from Fidelity to pursue his dream of opening boba shops, was recently named Charlotte’s Best Young Entrepreneur by the Carolinas Asian-American Chamber of Commerce. “I love being immersed in the community. It really reminds me of college,” he said. He’s frequently seen around the region with B&K’s tea cart or truck at cultural events, and they also give back to their customers through giveaways and help raise money for charities.
Through boba, Cain has found a way to celebrate his identity — deepening his connection to his Asian heritage and building something lasting in the region that shaped him. Once unsure of where he belonged, he now proudly shares a piece of Asian culture with his community — one cup at a time.
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Concord
17 Union St.
Concord, NC 28025
980-248-1712
Kannapolis
103 West Ave.
Kannapolis, NC 28081
704-932-4928
Mooresville
115 Commons Dr.
Mooresville, NC 28117
704-360-4161
Huntersville
14231 Market Square Dr.
Huntersville, NC 28078
704-274-5910
CLTure is proud to present a series of articles and stories sponsored by the Carolinas Asian American Chamber of Commerce, highlighting Asian American business owners in the Charlotte community and beyond.
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