Fika Tea Bar – CLOSED PERMANENTLY
Have you ever had a hankering for some bubble tea but simultaneously needed a haircut AND someone to represent you in court? Well you’re in luck friend, a new tea bar just opened a few steps from Houdini Plaza in the same doorway as a salon and attorneys office. It’s called Fika Tea Bar and it’s one of a kind for it’s bubble tea here in the valley. We’ve got the crappy smoothie version a plenty but those are often over sweetened, chalky and oddly textured. I’m talking about brewed loose leaf tea, iced, with cream and tapioca pearls. This was a staple during our college years in the Twin Cities and we are stoked to have it here.
In A Slurp
MENU
Ambiance: Posh and purposeful
Music: Top Pop
Service: Fresh
Price: $
Food Style: Beverages & Light Snacks/Treats
What to Order: Rouge, Thai Iced Tea
Go Again?: Yeah!
The Whole Cup
Fika Tea Bar was started by two valley locals, Colleen Bies and Alyssa Jones. Both entrepreneurs in their own right, they have teamed up to bring us something Appleton was missing: bubble tea.
Fika blends in the background among the signs on College Ave. Tusler Law and Bold Salon both have bolder and more colorful signs which definitely draw your before you see Fika. They could benefit from a small swinging sign perpendicular to the street for drivers as the chalkboard is blocked by parked cars. I’d like to think they could actually attribute the first half of this quote below to Gandalf but who knows.
Walking through the old, single front door, the first thing you notice is the mantra for the creation of the bar.
“FIKA [Fee-ka]: Swedish (n.) the intention to slow down and appreciate the little things in life. ‘Have a cup of tea with friends.’”
They created this space to be a gathering place for friends to come together, laugh and dream. And that’s exactly what we did! We went with Lindsay’s sister and lounged for about a half hour. Don’t expect to sit down and plug away on a research project with your headphones in. The space is designed to lounge in, not worked in with low tables, sofas, and very few plug in spots.
The decor is very posh and sophisticated. Small fake greenery, bookshelves lined with hipster photography books, and golden trinkets. I told Lindsay it looks like they raided Home Goods. While the decor is pleasant, the space doesn’t fit the space. The wall separating the dining, kitchen, and other businesses doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling. Chandelier lights hang between lighting up the long hall, split by this awkward wall.
The kitchen is unseen because of said wall. There is a small register counter and a curtained doorway. One of the joys of the other tea shops I have been too, or cafes is general, is being able to see them make your bev. I also like open kitchen because they lead to more transparency from the workers.
As for the service, multiple menu locations make it easy find the perfect drink even when the line is long. Menus are placed along the left hand wall and at the counter on hooks. The crew behind the bar is personable, conversation is kept light and drinks brought quickly. If you’re sticking around, they’ll bring you your bubble tea. They have both paper and metal straw options. Because the space is long and narrow, the flow of everything can get somewhat congested with people ordering and staff bringing out drinks. Just be patient because it’s worth the short wait.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”6″ display=”basic_slideshow”]The arrival of the tea with it’s colorful layers will excite your taste buds. We all got different drinks so we could try as much as possible on the menu. I had the bar special, the Rouge. It’s a classic Thai (black) tea with semi-sweet cream and black tapioca pudding pearls. Lindsay had the coffee drink with coffee jellies. Kayla had the summer special, a strawberry tea with pineapple chunks and boba bubbles, the kind that pop as you squish them against the roof of your mouth.
All of them were very tasty. The bubbles were the perfect texture and they had a good variety to choose from. However, there just wasn’t enough tea flavor! If I had to take a guess, they make the tea hot and then ice it in your cup, diluting it a bit too much. If they did a cold brew tea, I think it could save time in the back and bring a whole lot more depth to the drinks. EDIT: The owners let us know they do cold brew their tea and still developing their flavor methods.
We’re very happy to have a tea place to gather together like we used to. I look forward to seeing this business venture develop and grow even more so we can selfishly have more tea-times to bond over with friends and family. And as always, I’ll be the one taking the pictures.
UPDATE: Since writing this post, we went back a second time for the Coconut Vanilla with pearls and The Frida. Both delicious, but we still agree that the tea flavor could be a bit stronger.
