During the school day, many students at Lexington High School use their free blocks to relax and buy refreshments at local businesses in Lexington Center. However, the recent closure of staples like Starbucks and Panera has prompted students to explore other options. 

On Nov. 6, CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice, a new boba tea shop, opened up in the Center. CoCo is a chain of boba tea shops headquartered in Taiwan with multiple locations stationed along the East Coast of the United States. Their dedication to recreating the tea drinking experience has attracted significant interest from students.

“I was really excited because Starbucks just closed so I really wanted to have another place [my friends and I] could get drinks and hang out, and I love bubble tea,” Mirra Payson, a junior at LHS, said.

Given the shop’s proximity to LHS, CoCo has proven especially convenient for students coming out of a busy school day or looking to leave campus during a free block.

“My favorite part about having this new boba shop in town is that if you have a free, it’s a cool place to go and relax and have a refreshing drink,” Anna Zaniolo, a junior, said.

Many students are already familiar with the concept of boba tea, having tried it at stores in neighboring towns. Although, having a shop close by has allowed for experimentation with new flavors and toppings.

“Having this shop in Lexington Center has definitely incentivized me to have it more times and try new drinks and topping combos,” Zaniolo said.

CoCo offers many boba tea flavors, including seasonal tea, milk tea, fruit tea, yakult, slush/smoothies, tea latte, fresh milk, cloud, and fresh tea, along with an assortment of toppings, such as fruit-flavored jelly, tapioca bubbles, red beans, pudding, and more seasonal toppings. Many of these drinks are served hot or cold depending on the customer’s preference. 

“There are just a lot of different options [at CoCo] and really good boba. Normally I just go with pearl milk tea, but since it’s so close by and I visit it pretty often, I’ve been adventurous with the new boba shop and tried different toppings and different teas,” Payson said.

CoCo often has a long line of customers leading out onto Massachusetts Avenue.  The store also has an app that makes ordering and receiving deals more convenient for its customers. 

With its proximity to LHS and variety of bubble tea selections, CoCo has proved to be a welcome addition to the town Center.