CT entrepreneurs are opening a tea and sweets cafe. Including a doughnut that might be new to you. - Hartford Courant

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Nestled within the bustling Shield Street Plaza and engulfed in a warm aroma, Cha Papi is designed as a haven of tea and sweets, though yet to be experienced by food lovers of West Hartford and the rest of Connecticut.

When it opens, Cha Papi, a tea and sweets sanctuary, aims to be a passion-fueled ode by Brian Keo and Shirley Wong to infuse the community with an irresistible blend of Asian flavors that bring together cultures and people through food and drink.

“After I helped out with the family business, The Elephant Trail group, since 2005 and eventually as the general manager and how Shirley grew up helping out her parent’s Chinese restaurant, we saw and loved how food can make people come together from different cultures and backgrounds,” Keo said.

With this fervor in their hearts, Keo and Wong said their aspirations for Cha Papi were resolute: to create a dream for their family, establish themselves as a staple in a growing and diverse town and introduce more Asian desserts to the area.

“We both come from immigrant parents and refugees fleeing from poverty. We saw how much our parents struggled and sacrificed to provide a better future for us in order for us to succeed and pursue our dreams. We want to show future generations that they can achieve what they want no matter the obstacles,” Wong said.

While there has already been an increase in bubble tea shops in West Hartford, Keo and Wong said they plan to offer something different to their customers: special ingredients and mochi doughnuts.

Also, no artificial powders and syrups, “we will be using only real milk, real fruits and real sugar. We will not be using any powdered milk teas and non-dairy creamer powders,” Keo said. “We will also be the only ones in the area that will offer mochi doughnuts and Taiyaki soft serve, focusing on Asian flavors such as matcha, black sesame, and ube.”

Some examples, meticulously crafted with a strong commitment to authenticity, they said, are the Strawberry Matcha Latte and the hot Ube Latte. On the smooth wood counter are mochi doughnuts, otherwise known as a cross between an American doughnut and Japanese mochi. A mochi doughnut maintains the fluffy and moist texture of a regular doughnut but is half the calories. Adjacent to the mochi doughnuts will be a machine for Taiyaki soft serve, a fish-shaped waffle generally filled with a sweet red bean paste.

Almost any of Cha Papi’s drinks, such as the Hong Kong tea, will be able to be served hot in a 16-ounce cup or iced up to 24-ounces. However, the Strawberry Matcha Latte and the Passionfruit Jasmine Fresca will only come iced. For the drinks that are nearly equivalent to half the amount of recommended water people need in a day, may vary between $6.25 and $7.25 and a dollar less for the slightly smaller sized teas.

“We are both foodies and every time we travel somewhere, our favorite thing to do is to eat and try different foods that are not available to us in Connecticut,” Keo said. “We both love tea and Asian desserts and we wanted to bring the Asian flavors that we love to Connecticut.”

The nearly 1,000-square-foot cafe will be swathed in a blend of neutral tones and filled with wooden tables and counters, a symphony of natural greenery and comfortable couches. The simple interior aims to be a social and relaxing space for any parched mouth or grumbling stomach. Above the glass doors to the tea and sweets emporium is the shop’s name Cha Papi, which stems from Chinese and Keo’s humor.

“‘Cha’ in Chinese means tea and we wanted to use the word ‘cha’ in our name since we focus a lot of our products around tea. Brian, being the jokester that he is, came up with ‘Papi,’ meaning daddy,” Wong said. “So, Cha Papi essentially means ‘Tea Daddy.’”

Even though the name of the soon to be eatery came easy to the couple, the cafe’s construction was just the opposite, they said. What was predicted to be six months of construction quickly turned into over a year.  Whether it was the labor costs, inflation of materials, outsourcing ingredients or change of contractors, Keo and Wong slowly began to lose confidence.

“Nothing seemed to be going our way and we were losing hope. But we knew that it had to be done. We put so much time, money and effort into our dream,” Keo said.

Cha Papi is still on route to open this summer. The owners have not announced an official opening date but predict to unlock the doors this summer between June and July. For updates on store hours, menu and for an opening day date, people can follow Cha Papi’s Instagram account @chapapi.ct.

After Keo and Wong helped their families create and maintain their legacy, the new business owners are now excited to start their own.

“Many people know what their dream is but don’t act on it because they’re afraid or unsure of the outcome, but if life is about living and growing, why not challenge yourself with a goal that could potentially change your life and influence others to do the same?” Keo said. “Cha Papi is ours, and we can’t wait to open.”

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CT entrepreneurs are opening a tea and sweets cafe. Including a doughnut that might be new to you. - Hartford Courant
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