Today we’d like to introduce you to Thao Nguyen And Arthur Nguyen.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Some businesses start with a market analysis. Tastea Houston started with a promise made a long time ago, between a mother and her son.
Thao had Arthur when she was young, just 17 years apart in age, close enough that people sometimes mistake them for best friends rather than mother and son. Raising him as a single mother on a limited income meant saving wherever she could, but she always kept one goal in focus: making sure Arthur would be taken care of.
A couple of years ago, a heartfelt conversation with her older brother changed the direction of that goal. “I found myself reflecting on the future I wanted to create for my son, Arthur,” Thao says. “The idea of leaving a meaningful legacy became a driving force for me.” That conversation, and the years of closeness that came before it, planted the idea of building something together as a family.
They landed on a boba shop. “We wanted something fun, where families could come together and enjoy quality time,” Thao explains. Sharing a taste of their Californian roots felt like the right direction, and Tastea became the brand. With Thao’s siblings by their side, the family set out on the entrepreneurial journey together.
Last year, that idea became real. Thao and Arthur, with family alongside them, opened Tastea Houston, turning years of closeness into a shared business and a shared purpose.
The Hard Part Nobody Skips
The path was not easy. It took nearly two years just to find the right location. Thao and Arthur drove around Bellaire together, searching for the perfect spot, until they found Ai Hoa Plaza in the heart of Chinatown. “When we discovered it, I knew we had found our home,” Thao says. Signing the lease felt like a monumental step forward, but it was only the beginning of a long process of permits, construction, and equipment orders, all while Thao kept working her full-time job.
Through it all, Arthur became her right-hand man, pitching in on hiring staff, liaising with contractors, and even assembling equipment. “His dedication often went unseen, but it was instrumental in making our dream a reality,” Thao says.
After months of hard work, they finally reached Grand Opening Day. For Thao, the journey has been about more than starting a business. “This journey has been a testament to my commitment not just as a mother but as someone striving to build a legacy for Arthur, a lasting impact that brings joy to our community while ensuring his future is bright,” she says. “I’ve learned that with perseverance and support, we can craft a legacy that resonates far beyond our own lives.”
Opening in Houston also meant stepping into a market that was new to them and fiercely competitive, full of established boba and beverage brands with loyal followings already built. It has been amazing. It has also been difficult. They show up every day, side by side, doing the unglamorous work of building a brand from the ground up in a city that does not hand out loyalty for free. It has to be earned, cup by cup, customer by customer.
That is exactly what they are asking Houston for now: a chance. A chance for people to walk in, say hi, and see the brand they have poured themselves into. Not a sales pitch. An invitation.
More Than a Boba Shop
What sets Tastea Houston apart is not just the menu, though the menu holds its own. It is the way the shop has woven itself into the neighborhood around it.
Tastea Houston has hosted fundraisers for local schools, welcomed car meets in its parking lot, and turned slow evenings into game nights and K-pop meetups. It is the kind of place where a stop for a drink can turn into an afternoon with friends, or where the whole shop feels like an extension of the community outside its doors.
That is not an accident. Thao and Arthur love Houston, and they built Tastea to reflect that love back to the people who live there.
What’s on the Menu
Of course, none of it works without great drinks and great food. Tastea Houston serves fruit teas, matcha, coffee, and smoothies, alongside a food menu built for real cravings. The Karate Chicken, their own spin on popcorn chicken, has become a favorite, alongside their battered fries tossed in house seasoning.
An Open Door
At its heart, Tastea Houston is a mother and son’s dream made public: a space built on years of closeness, hard work, and a genuine love for the city they chose to plant roots in.
Their message to Houston is a simple one: come say hi. Grab a drink, try the fries, meet the people behind the counter who are still, every single day, working toward the dream they started together.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The Hard Part Nobody Skips
The path was not easy. It took nearly two years just to find the right location. Thao and Arthur drove around Bellaire together, searching for the perfect spot, until they found Ai Hoa Plaza in the heart of Chinatown. “When we discovered it, I knew we had found our home,” Thao says. Signing the lease felt like a monumental step forward, but it was only the beginning of a long process of permits, construction, and equipment orders, all while Thao kept working her full-time job.
Through it all, Arthur became her right-hand man, pitching in on hiring staff, liaising with contractors, and even assembling equipment. “His dedication often went unseen, but it was instrumental in making our dream a reality,” Thao says.
After months of hard work, they finally reached Grand Opening Day. For Thao, the journey has been about more than starting a business. “This journey has been a testament to my commitment not just as a mother but as someone striving to build a legacy for Arthur, a lasting impact that brings joy to our community while ensuring his future is bright,” she says. “I’ve learned that with perseverance and support, we can craft a legacy that resonates far beyond our own lives.”
Opening in Houston also meant stepping into a market that was new to them and fiercely competitive, full of established boba and beverage brands with loyal followings already built. It has been amazing. It has also been difficult. They show up every day, side by side, doing the unglamorous work of building a brand from the ground up in a city that does not hand out loyalty for free. It has to be earned, cup by cup, customer by customer.
That is exactly what they are asking Houston for now: a chance. A chance for people to walk in, say hi, and see the brand they have poured themselves into. Not a sales pitch. An invitation.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am in Leadership at a hopsital in the Texas Medical Center. A place where everyone comes for treatment. Calls and hours are pretty much 25/7/365. Doing this pretty much pushes me to work 7 days a week between the hospital and the store. Juggling a work/life balance has not been easy. I’m very proud of my Son, Arthur and how he has managed to run a store at his age. What sets us a part is the strength and resiliency. Others would have quit, but we kept pushing through.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
In the next 5-10 years, we see ourselves being apart of a great community. We understand that there are many boba tea shops, but we are truly family orientated and love doing what we can to be apart of this community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gotastea.com/locations/houston
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tasteahouston
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tasteahouston
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tastea-houston-2?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
