We Ah Bubble: Caribbean Bubble Tea

BY: ANESHA PREMRAJ 

Bubble tea is known for its delicious variety of flavours, a cool, refreshing drink that is inspired by the Asian community. Have you considered integrating Caribbean culture into bubble tea? This was the vision of Owyna Alexander, the founder, owner and caterer of Caribbubble, a Caribbean inspired bubble tea business.

Owyna, a Caribbean born entrepreneur, had always envisioned herself owning her own business. Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, Owyna knew her career path would be in business proprietorship.

“I experienced my family being an entrepreneurial mindset type family, all around, my mom, my dad, my uncle, my aunt…. I just always knew I wanted to work for myself and that was all I knew. I was like eventually I’m going to have my own business. I didn’t know what it was going to be, I didn’t know what I would do, but I knew I would do something myself.”

Owyna is a graduate of the Business Administration program at George Brown College. After graduating from her program, she worked alongside her mother and aunt, as the Operations Manager for their business, selling medical uniforms. However, proving that running a business with family can be difficult, the store closed within a year.

“I had a business with my mom, but that didn’t work out. It was a great learning experience, it definitely showed me how working with family can be a real challenge.” Soon after Owyna started to dabble in the art of bubble tea.

“I just love bubble tea, I’m definitely a bubble tea fan and I found myself daydreaming about flavours that were more relatable to me.” Owyna’s love of bubble tea and Caribbean culture struck inspiration in her to create a product that celebrates the flavours of the Caribbean. 

“I started experimenting with flavours and I would ask my friends ‘if you were to have a Caribbean bubble tea, what flavour would you expect, what flavour would you want?’ And first off was Sorrel.”

Owyna began her business, using the program BizStart, a six-month entrepreneurship-training program to train and assist young entrepreneurs. “I came into the program with an idea and was able to make it into a feasible business by the end of it.”

Coming up with such a unique name for the business that represents the Caribbean and her product could not be an easy task. Owyna talks about the process of discovering the name ‘Caribbubble’.

“Caribbubble came about when I was thinking about what the business meant to me and what I was trying to do with it, and so I wanted it to represent the Caribbean. So I started with Caribbean Bubble Tea, but I found it so straightforward and bland. I started to think of how I can merge the Caribbean word with ‘Bubble’. Then realized that we already cut the word Caribbean in half then I added the bubble.”

Caribbubble offers unique flavours including sorrel, sea moss, ginger beer and coco-tea complete with ‘cassava bubbles’. These bubble teas bring the flavours of home in a modern way, through a different culture.

All the products that are made by Caribbubble are vegan and fresh supplied. “As of now, all my drinks are actually vegan. I feel really good about offering really healthy drinks and I really appreciate when people who are vegan are able to come.”

Owyna does not believe in using powdered flavouring or artificial sweeteners in her products. “I source my ingredients from West Indian grocery stores primarily. The only thing I can’t get at the West Indian Store is the tapioca so I buy the tapioca from the Chinese Supermarket.”

Caribbubble’s commitment to authentic flavours and health is incomparable to most bubble teas. “Because our drinks are naturally healthy and naturally so good for you, I couldn’t see myself using bad ingredients to make the drinks. I really do try to be as authentic as possible.”

Owyna even sources some of her ingredients from back home! “My Grandmother who lives in New York gets people to send things from back home for me, which I’m so grateful for. I get real sea moss, I get real nutmeg from Grenada, I get real coco-tea from Grenada too. I don’t like anything artificial and I think that’s what I really pride myself in with Caribbubble.”

Not only does Owyna embody the phrase ‘embrace your culture’ but also, she genuinely wants the Caribbean community to feel represented and share our culture with the world. “I would like the community to know that Caribbubble is made for the Caribbean people and it’s basically the love child of everything that I love about our drinks and modernizing it for the community here in Canada.”

While providing healthy and authentic drinks is very important to Owyna, being eco-friendly is just as significant. Caribbubble bubble teas are sold in mason jars instead of disposable plastic cups and straws. They commit to this feature and even have a promotion that if you bring your mason jar back, your next bubble tea will be half price!

If you are wondering where to find the bubble tea of Caribbubble, their products are being sold in a teashop in the China Town Mall in Toronto (222 Spadina Avenue), only until April. There is another location to look out for in March, Caribbubble’s Bubble tea is being sold at the Scadding Court Community Centre at Market 707.

Not only are Caribbubble products being sold at stores and pop-up shops, but also they are available for catering and vending. They are available for private events, such as: weddings, expos and parties and festivals!