Eric and Tonya Thomas may have only been married for a little under four years, but they’ve been laying the groundwork for a long and prosperous life together for some time. The next step in expanding their family’s footprint is the grand opening celebration for their new business, Teapioca Lounge, in Hutto. This is the first Black owned location in the franchise’s history.
Eric, originally from Southern California, has been in the Austin metro area since 1987. “I remember when soulciti was created,” he mentioned. Eric graduated from Johnston High School, now named Eastside Early College High School. He later graduated from St. Edward’s University in 2000 with a technology background. After being in software sales for 25 years, Eric realized the corporate world wasn’t for him. “I always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Then I got laid off from Netsuite in 2022. So, I decided to put my career in my own hands,” Eric stated. Finally, selling their house in March of 2022 allowed them to safely take this opportunity.
God turns your path in a different direction.
Tonya was born and raised in Taylor, TX. She joined law enforcement and stayed in that field for almost 26 years. During that time, she met several people and got involved in many community activities. Tonya also became an investor in MJ’s Nightclub in Austin, which taught her about business ownership. Then, she met Eric. Tonya said she thought her calling was to own her own nightclub but after meeting Eric, she saw that she was meant for something else. “God turns your path in a different direction. You don’t know where he’s leading you, but you have to stay the course. So I stayed the course.”
“Eric and I married. I wanted to still own a nightclub or lounge. That wasn’t in my path. My path was to own a lounge, but it turned out to be a tea lounge.” The couple was looking into different business ventures. Then their granddaughter inadvertently led them to boba tea, which is very popular among teenagers.
After researching the market, praying and asking God to lead them, they landed on the Teapioca franchise. “We felt like we were diving into something unknown. It was interesting but not scary because we knew we were led here. It was also interesting learning and working with other cultures,” Tonya added.
When it came to choosing the location, the Thomas’s searched in Cedar Park, South Austin, and everywhere in between. There was another location they had their hearts set on, but working with the franchiser, they were led to their current location. Tonya used to live in Hutto, and the couple believes that the city feels community based. Plus, it’s seeing a lot of change and growth right now. So why not Hutto?
Eric also noted that with Samsung being ten minutes away and the high school being one minute away, they’re in a very great location. “There was another boba tea shop in the city, but it changed to a restaurant. So we’re the only boba tea shop in town now,” he also added.
The grand opening celebration is Saturday, August 10, 11:00 am to 9:00 pm. Here’s what you can expect on that day.
- a ribbon cutting with the Hutto Chamber of Commerce at 12:00 pm
- a Mariachi band with folklore dancers
- cheerleaders from Hutto High School
- free drinks for a limited time and specials all day
- and much more
Tonya stated, “We want to introduce boba to the Black community more. We’ve had some come in who were curious and have returned since then. It’s important to try new things and to help people branch out.”
As far as future plans, the Thomas’s said they’re taking it step by step. This location is doing well so far. So expanding is definitely possible. The duo also encouraged people who would like to get involved with a franchise not to be afraid to ask. You may be that one to get a seat at the table.
Follow Teapioca on Facebook and Instagram. You can also view their menu at Teapiocalounge.com.
Teapioca Lounge
571 Ed Schmidt Blvd., Ste C
Hutto, Texas 78634
