Tealux Café specializes in bubble tea, Bahn Mi sandwiches, and Vietnamese coffee. For those unfamiliar with some of these delectable delights, bubble tea, or boba tea, is a tea-based drink enhanced with chewy tapioca balls. Aside from its fruit-forward, refreshing flavor, bubble tea is also known for being a vibrant, eye-catching Instagram-worthy refreshment. The “create your own boba” option presents choices from tea type (fruit or milk) to sweetness level to a vast array of toppings, ensuring your drink comes out exactly how you envision.

Another popular refreshment offered at Tealux Café that you won’t find at most coffee shops is Vietnamese coffee. They’ve perfected the blend of Vietnamese-style coffee and condensed milk to find the perfect balance that a robust and smooth cup of joe offers with sweet, creamy milk resulting in the ultimate beverage. Customers have a choice between light and dark roasts.

The atmosphere matches their delectable tea with cozy seating and bright, sunshine-colored walls. They even have the mantra “Connecting Souls, Sowing Happiness” incorporated throughout their website and social media, setting the stage for the energy in the store.

Before becoming the Tealux Café owner, Hampton Roads resident Tina Dang sought to combine her artistic talents and her love for people with the start of her first business, Lotus and Peace Day Spa, in Norfolk back in 2006. After realizing her passion for business ownership, she launched the Miracle Beauty and Nails Academy, which offers 11 different cosmetology programs. After finding success with both businesses, Tina knew there were still big dreams she wanted to pursue.

During the pandemic, Tina began to form the concept of her future business in the food and drink industry. Coming from a family of food business owners in Vietnam, she culminated her family’s culture and influence into the fast-casual café it is now. Tealux opened its flagship location on Tidewater Drive in 2021, finding immediate success even in its first year of business.

Since its inception, Tina’s vision for Tealux has been to prioritize quality items while curating a unique and inviting environment for its customers. Inside you’ll find comfortable seating, various games, modern music, and photo walls for customers to share their favorite drinks on social media. Tealux employees are also encouraged to collaborate to create new content, drinks, and café ideas.

While Tealux is a Norfolk small business at its core, there’s a demand in markets all over, so they’re aiming to bring its recipe for success nationwide.

Tealux has taken off within a year, operating in four locations with five more openings soon. Norfolk’s second location on Colley Avenue recently had its soft opening and anticipates its grand opening in the next month. If you can’t wait for the Colley grand opening, you can head to the Tidewater location for the full menu of mouth-watering fare.

Aside from the two locations in Norfolk, there will be one café opening down the street in Virginia Beach and one in Falls Church, VA, plus locations in Florida, Wisconsin, Missouri, and California.

Tiffany Frazier

Ghent, NFK

Tiffany grew up in Chesapeake but has called Norfolk home for the past seven years. She fell in love with the city while working with Festevents during college summer breaks. She graduated from James Madison University (Go Dukes!) with a degree in corporate communication. Tiffany now works as a digital marketing specialist and enjoys strolling and rollerblading her way around Norfolk. She lives in Ghent with her husband Trevor, and their two cats, Tux and Joe.