Drive-thru drink shop set to open at Metro Eats

A mother and daughter are poised to open a new venture at Metro Eats that they say will locally be the first of its kind.

Following a soft opening tomorrow, Jade Dragon Bubble Tea LLC is expected to officially launch July 10 at the 2463 W. Sunshine St. development, said the new shop’s owner, Rachael Monrotus. She said Jade Dragon will occupy one of the shipping containers in Metro Eats, next to Grow for Good 417 LLC, and is set to be the lone drive-thru bubble tea shop in the Springfield area.

Jade Dragon serves as a first-time business ownership venture for Monrotus, who works full-time as an algebra teacher at Logan-Rogersville High School. It’s a job she said she intends to maintain, and she adds that her daughter, Kayle, 24, will be the shop’s manager and eventual co-owner.

“We came up with the idea of a drive-thru when we were literally sitting in 7 Brew [Coffee]’s drive-thru,” Monrotus said, noting her daughter has past bubble tea retail experience from her nearly two years working at TeaOlogy Boba Cafe LLC. “We were just talking about it last year, and I was like, ‘Well, you could do that, and you could run that. We could open a business.’ And that’s where it started.”

Startup costs were around $25,000, Monrotus said, adding she’s on a month-to-month lease for an undisclosed rate with Metro Eats owner Christina Shellhart. The 640-square-foot Japanese-inspired tea shop will employ seven, she said.

Monrotus said most of the milk teas sold at the shop will be from Japan, including Hokkaido and Okinawa, as well as Japanese matcha and yuzu tea. Jade Dragon connected with Commercial Street business Chabom Tea and Spices, whom she credits for helping them obtain such high-quality teas.

“We sat down and tasted teas for over five hours to make sure that we have the best quality teas around,” she said, adding a special blend tea called the Kawaii is made for Jade Garden by Chabom.

Topping options will include popping pearls, cold foam, grass jelly, custard and tapioca pearls.

“There are so many different topping options,” Monrotus said, adding the menu also will feature ice cream from State Flair, a company owned by Shellhart.

For those seeking a more traditional drink option, sweet tea also will eventually be added to the menu, Monrotus said.

“We are so excited. We have been working so hard to get this going,” she said.

Jade Dragon’s opening comes on the heels of another venture planning to launch soon at Metro Eats. Ella’s Soul Kitchen is targeting a mid-July opening, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.