Overland Park tea shop temporarily closes after car drove through storefront
Kate Wang, owner of Bubble Cup Tea Zone in Overland Park, was at home when she found out a car had driven through her storefront Tuesday morning.
“I had a small surgery, so this morning I felt not really comfortable. I just wanted to stay at home (another) half-hour then go to the shop,” Wang told The Star on Tuesday. “I got a message from my friend, and she told me she got a picture of my shop and I saw. I just wake up and go to the shop and I see everything.”
Overland Park police were called to the scene just after 10 a.m. to the tea shop at 8331 W. 135th St. A woman in a sedan had accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake and drove into the building, breaking its front wall and windows, all the way up to the shop’s counter, according to John Lacy, spokesperson for the Overland Park Police Department. The department did not immediately clarify whether or not it was investigating the crash further.
Wang moved to Kansas City from Taiwan 3 1/2 years ago. Shortly after in May 2023, she opened her shop, selling a variety of milk teas including flavored brewed tea, classic milk tea, fruit tea, flavored milk tea, fresh milk tea, flavored slush, sea salt tea, flavored snow and creative snow, according to its website.
Bubble Cup Tea Zone specializes in tea from Taiwan. They brew it in spring water before adding flavor or cane sugar, according to its website. Now, her Overland Park storefront will be closed until further notice. Wang hopes it takes just a few months to make repairs.
“I wish I can reopen as soon as possible, because the temperature is warmer, and we are a boba shop. So we love the warm temperature. So finally, after the winter, I’m so happy the temperature is better right now, but for right now, I need to wait,” she said.
Wang said is in contact with her insurance company and landlord and hopes to reopen quickly.
