Neighborhood News Bureau

Category: Reviews

  • Local boba tea shop combines flavor and anime for customers

    Local boba tea shop combines flavor and anime for customers

    By Alyssa Moritz 

    The Manga Tea Shop in Hudson is gaining popularity, as it draws in customers with its unique blend of boba tea and an anime-themed atmosphere.

    “You can come here, and you can engage with other fans of anime […] and I think a lot of other [boba] places don’t offer that opportunity to their customers,” Miguel Padilla said, a 36-year-old co-owner of Hudson’s Manga Tea Shop. 

    Boba tea shops’ popularity has increased over the years, including Hudson’s Manga Tea Shop. With the public’s expanded interest in anime and manga, which are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan, Manga Tea Shop combined boba, anime and manga to create three store locations.  

    Boba, or bubble tea, was traditionally a Taiwanese drink that mixed iced milk tea with tapioca pearls made from starch. Over time, additional flavors and ingredients, such as fruit, became common for boba tea shops to offer. 

    Padilla said that he saw an opportunity for a Hudson location tea shop early on. 

    “We noticed trends that more businesses were popping up in this location, more specifically in this plaza,” Padilla said. “We saw an opportunity, it was trending up [and] we thought we’d take it.” 

    Skye Ingram, 24-year-old manager of Hudson Manga Tea Shop, said that applying for the position provided the perfect opportunity for her. 

    “I really like anime, and I really like boba, so when I saw that they were opening up a shop over here I thought it was a perfect opportunity to take my personal interests into my work life,” Ingram said. 

    Manga Tea Shop has a variety of anime and manga themed merchandise such as stuffed animals, keychains and mystery boxes. The art on the walls inside of the shop was made by an employee at the Tampa location Manga Tea Shop, according to Padilla. 

    “We want the customer to walk in, feel welcome and just provide a warm environment that anyone can walk in,” Padilla said. “So, they don’t feel judged, they’re here to stay [and] they’re here to hang out. We’ll engage in conversation with them and make it an overall positive experience.” 

     
    Manga Tea Shop also hosted events including cosplay contests, anime trivia nights and holiday-themed gatherings. At some of these events, raffles and prizes were offered, allowing customers to interact and learn about others in the community. 

    “[These events] create good opportunities to bring people in,” Ingram said. “A majority of our clientele like anime or manga, [but] we have a select few that are only here for the boba. Even only being here for the boba they ask, ‘Oh, what’s all this artwork? What’s on the tv?’ and it introduces some people into the anime manga scene.” 

    Manga Tea Shop also added new products for customers, both to snack on and to keep. Along with new mystery boxes, Padilla said that Manga Tea Shop had soft serve ice cream with flavors such as taro or cookies and cream. 

    With all of the additions to Manga Tea Shop, from the drinks to a manga library, Padilla said that other boba shops did not offer that type of opportunity to their customers. 

    “I think the anime community is very passionate about anime, so you really have to provide positive experience or else they’re going to know if they walk in and you’re not passionate about something they are passionate about,” Padilla said. “Fortunately, here we don’t have that issue. Everyone here enjoys everything we do and everything we show.” 

    Hudson’s Manga Tea Shop displayed their new soft serve ice cream for customers on Instagram and Facebook on April 19, and they welcome new and returning visitors to stop by and try the treat in person. 

  • What society can learn from the military about diversity

    Diversity in the Military Panel

    BY LAURA MULROONEY
    Neighborhood News Bureau

    ST. PETERSBURG –“After about two weeks you find strength through your diversity,” as former Navy Petty Officer Donald Holly anecdotally recalled his time spent drifting through the depths of the ocean in a submarine. “You learn to identify the things that don’t really matter… then you learn to appreciate those things.”

    A panel of three former military leaders convened Thursday night for the “Shades of Green,” discussion on diversity in the United States Military at Stetson University College of Law.

    diversity sub, featuredHolly’s sentiment characterized the tone of the 90-minute discussion, with little to no disagreement from the other two panelists, retired Army Col. DJ Reyes, and retired Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Terry Nealy.

    Although they were products of vastly different backgrounds the innate camaraderie and mutual respect was apparent. As with most military driven events, the panel of strangers conversed as if they had known each other for ages.

    Socioeconomic status, gender, race, and sexuality were just a few defining factors of diversity discussed Thursday evening.

    Due to the expansive nature of the military, a single-culture environment is not a prospect for members of the military admitted Holly.

    When asked by moderator Kristen Colelli, Stetson Law Juris Doctorate Candidate, “What is the most challenging aspect of accepting people from all over the place?”

    Reyes responded, “The biggest challenge is one of ignorance.”

    Not ignorance in a negative way, but ignorance in the sense of unfamiliarity, he clarified. According to Reyes, the members of the military are trained to fit one common model. It is difficult to keep one’s individuality in the process.

    Communication and mutual respect were revered throughout the discussion; Reyes explained that acceptance and inclusion occurs after lines of communication have been opened, “when respect goes both ways, progress can be made.”

    “After work we don’t have to invite each other home for dinner, but we do have to work together,” commented Nealy. According to Nealy, people are wired differently and are products of their environment; the key is to respect those differences.

    Holly concluded the discussion by advocating the practice of labeling; he explained that the process of labeling empowers people to represent who and what they are. “To level the playing ground by diminishing labels we marginalize people,” labels allow us to own who we are.

    The panel was co-hosted by The Pillars at Stetson College and the Student Veterans Organization Stetson College chapter to highlight the importance of diversity and promote the understanding of diversity of all types during the American Bar Association’s Diversity Week.