Liberty alumnus opens new bubble tea shop in Lynchburg

Bubble tea, fresh lemonade and mochi donuts are just some of the delectable treats that customers can choose from at the new Moon Tea store located on Wards Road. Moon Tea initially opened in December and has been serving customers Korean-inspired desserts since its grand opening. The front of the building houses Moon Tea while the other side is unfinished, soon to be Koreanz, a Korean BBQ restaurant serving traditional Korean comfort food. 

The Moon Tea menu will expand soon with new offerings, such as Korean corndogs.

Owner David Kang provided a few suggestions for newcomers who don’t know what to try.

“Whenever a customer asks me what to get, I always tell them the honeydew milk tea with lychee jellies. That one’s my favorite,” Kang said.

Kang also recommends the amber brown sugar milk tea along with the taro and Moon flavors, which are the top three most-loved drinks by customers. Moon Tea offers over 40 flavors and combinations to choose from. 

Kang moved to Lynchburg from Korea 12 years ago and is a Liberty University alumnus. It’s his third year with Moon Tea, having worked at the downtown location for two years before expanding to open this new location. Kang noticed that the closest place to find good Korean food was four hours away in Washington D.C., so he decided to change that.

“I always had this dream that I wanted to bring my culture and hometown food to Lynchburg so I can share the love that I have for it,” Kang said.

Set to open in less than a month, his new restaurant, Koreanz, will have a wide selection of traditional Korean comfort food, completed by Moon Tea’s assortment of boba and dessert foods.

Moon Tea’s food truck, known as the Bubble Bus, appears at most of Liberty’s sporting events. The bright pink truck gives students a chance to taste what Moon Tea has to offer without ever leaving campus. When not in use, the Bubble Bus stays parked outside of the Wards Road location, serving as a landmark that’s impossible to miss.

While Kang said that several students and locals visit the store daily, he hopes more students will come and feel welcome to use the store as a relaxed gathering place. Study groups, fan clubs and Bible studies are welcomed and encouraged.

“Everyone is welcome,” Kang said.

Moon Tea is also currently hiring. The shop is looking for friendly people to help make drinks, and soon it will need waiters and waitresses for Koreanz. For more information regarding Moon Tea’s menu, visit www.moontea.us. 

Barber is a feature reporter for The Champion