Taste This: Boba tea ($9 as of March 6, 2025) at Liquid Lab and Studio (next to the Northside Marketplace), located at 21 Furnace St. in Akron.
Creator: Paige Reeher, owner
Eye test: The beverage, burgundy in color, is served in a clear plastic cup. Reeher uses a machine to seal the top of the cup with heated plastic cellophane; this method allows the tea to be shaken in the serving cup. Sipping ensures the tapioca balls (boba) move up the long, wide straw.
Process: Traditional boba tea is served with tapioca balls — made of starch and commonly referred to as “pearls,” which are edible. Flavors burst from the boba when squeezed. There are many variations of this drink, including types of tea, amount of sugar and toppings. But essentials include milk, water, tea and sugar. Boba tea is served cold or hot. Steps include brewing tea, adding milk and shaking tapioca pearls from the cassava root.
Pairs with: Typically, boba tea is considered a treat — much like ice cream — but some boba fruit teas pair nicely with pesto pasta or grilled steaks. Or snacks, from egg pudding and French fries to fruit and chicken tenders.
What makes this item special: Boba pearls can be found at the bottom of cups, and they’re quite chewy.
“With each drink we serve,” Reeher said, “we hope to spark a connection to and curiosity about the diverse flavors, ingredients, recipes, cultures and people our world offers.”
Creator’s backstory: Reeher holds two ecology-focused degrees in biology. Not knowing what she wanted to do after graduating from University of Akron, she decided to pursue an advanced degree where she could conduct research on pollinators. After graduate school, Reeher jumped into the environmental consulting industry, where she worked almost exclusively on research and regulatory compliance pollinator projects.
Starting a beverage business is something Reeher thought about before 2024, when she lost her job as an environmental consultant. She took the opportunity that summer to build out Liquid Lab and Studio’s beverage trailer.
Reeher has been obsessed with boba tea since she first tried it 10 years ago — she has been an avid tea drinker for even longer. Reeher started making tapioca pearls at home. And after visiting a boba tea trailer in a Portland, Oregon, food pod, she started designing the Akron trailer that became Liquid Lab & Studio’s mobile cafe.
“Taste This” is our glimpse of the Akron area’s tastiest, distinctive and popular (or soon-to-be-famous) food, drinks and desserts — and the local culinary talents behind them. Tough job, we know. Know any menu items we should consider? Tell us here.
About the company: Liquid Lab and Studio offers beverages that highlight exotic flavors, ingredients and recipes. The business focuses on boba (bubble) tea, although Reeher plans to expand to other teas, gourmet hot chocolates, artisan ciders and crafted mocktails.
How to buy: The business is located inside the Northside Marketplace, which features local shops and restaurants open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursdays – Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s closed on Mondays.
