Regular to behind the register: Boba lover’s dream of owning her favorite spot takes flight

A new kind of tea service is pouring into Johnson County, and it’s built for sharing and experimentation.

Chatime at 10150-A W 119th St in Overland Park; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

At Chatime in Overland Park, owner Lauren Aust Yuen is introducing boba flights, a curated trio of drinks designed to turn a single order into a multi-sip experience. The flights concept launched in late April, offering customers a new, locally-stirred way to explore the franchise location’s menu while adding a social element to the region’s growing boba scene.

The idea poured from both Yuen’s personal experience and observation, she said. Before taking over the shop as its owner, she and her husband sat on the other side of the register — knowing they’d found a spot that they liked, but rarely trying something new.

“As loyal customers for three years, we never ventured beyond the one drink we knew we liked,” said Yuen. “Working behind the counter gave us insight into how people order. There’s a mental block. People think, ‘I’m spending money on one drink, what if I don’t like it?’ That’s really where the flights came from.”

Her solution meets that hesitation head-on, while also creating something more immersive.

“It’s about helping people explore the menu, but also creating an experience,” she said. “I designed each flight to connect with different types of customers.”

Flights ready for customers at Chatime in Overland Park; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Popping out new flights

The initial rollout includes four flight options, each grouped by flavor profile and built to highlight contrast and variety:

• Fan Favorite Flight: brown sugar milk tea; peach green tea with strawberry popping pearls; mango refresher with boba and lychee jelly
• Milk Tea Flight: premium milk tea; Thai milk tea with boba; taro milk tea
• Fruity Tea Flight: peach green tea; mango black tea with boba; pomegranate green tea with lychee jelly
• Refresher Flight (caffeine-free): pomegranate refresher with lychee popping pearls; mango refresher; tropical refresher with mango pearls

Each combination is intentional, designed to showcase how flavors and textures interact.

The concept has been in the works for months.

“We started working on it in February, and it’s been so exciting to see how people respond,” Yuen said. “The fact that it’s a KC-first concept makes it even more fun.”

The spring menu also includes two new cilantro-flavored drinks, including a cilantro lemon green tea and a cilantro milk boba tea; both added for a refreshing seasonal twist.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chatime OP (@op_chatime)

Building a business together

Running the shop is a full-time, all-encompassing effort.

“I love that I get to be scrappy and create something that’s my own, but that also means wearing every single hat,” Yuen said.

She manages daily operations, community engagement, catering, and her team, while her husband, Sonny Yuen, focuses on backend logistics.

While the business operates within a franchise system, it comes with flexibility to innovate locally, she said.

“It’s still young in the U.S., so we have a great partnership with corporate,” said Yuen. “I can say, ‘This is what I’m seeing in Kansas City,’ and they’ll tell me, ‘Go for it.’”

Lauren Aust Yuen and team members at Chatime ready teas for customers in the busy Overland Park shop; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

‘It’s hard to say no’

Yuen’s path to ownership didn’t start with a business plan. It started with a search. Her connection to boba stretches back more than a decade, when she first lived in the Kansas City area and began comparing local options to the larger tea culture she later experienced abroad.

Lauren Aust Yuen, Chatime; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

After time spent in cities like Sydney, Australia, where she first encountered the Chatime brand, she and her family eventually made their way back to the metro and settled in Overland Park in 2024, returning to be closer to family.

“We used to drive 45 minutes to our favorite boba spot, so we’re picky,” said Yuen. “When we moved back, we canvassed the entire KC metro looking for our place.”

That search eventually led them to the Chatime location in Overland Park, where they quickly became regulars.

“This one wasn’t far from our home, and we were coming in multiple times a week,” she said. “Then the shop became available, and it was like, ‘How do we turn this down?’”

When the opportunity surfaced, the decision came quickly, fueled by both instinct and curiosity about what they could build.

“We’re both very entrepreneurial at heart,” Yuen said of the leap into ownership. “We had the appetite and the curiosity, and when the opportunity came up, we just thought, let’s go for it.”

They were also confident in what they were serving up.

“We knew the product was delicious, authentic, and sourced from Taiwan,” she said. “When you know what you’re offering is that good, it’s hard to say no.”

Designing a space to stay in

Yuen’s vision extends beyond the menu.

Chatime at 10150-A W 119th St in Overland Park; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“I wanted this place to be more than what it was when we bought it,” she said. “‘How do we create community? How do we create connection?’”

After taking ownership in early 2025, she began transforming the space. Walls were removed, counters were lowered, and the design was reworked to feel more welcoming.

“I wanted the space to feel bright and inviting,” she said. “Working through that and transforming the space has been a journey.”

The goal is to move away from a purely transactional model and toward something more community-focused.

“Especially in the suburbs, everything can feel very transactional and grab-and-go,” Yuen said. “I wanted to create an experience where people slow down, connect, and have fun.”

Customers are already responding in ways that reinforce that vision.

“I had a woman ask if she could bring her book club in, and I thought, that’s exactly what I want,” she said. “I want people to have a reason to come in and stay.”

Lauren Aust Yuen, Chatime; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Growth plans

In its first year under Yuen’s leadership, the shop has seen steady growth, with catering, pop-ups, and community partnerships expanding its reach.

“We’re going to be popping up at different venues this summer,” she said. “Eventually, I’d love to expand. When people tell me they drove 40 minutes to come here, that’s the highest praise.”

She plans to continue evolving both the menu and the experience, using customer feedback to guide what comes next.

“I’m excited to see how this grows and evolves based on feedback,” she said. “There’s so much opportunity to build on this and keep creating new experiences.”