Bubble Tea in Castle Rock

“What better way to quench your thirst on a day of power-shopping through the outlets? This was my first foray into the Niko Niko chain, which has several locations throughout Colorado and Minnesota, and currently is partnering with Miffy to draw the attention of every Asian American millenial.

It's vibrant and... bubbly inside this small shop, in which several youthful employees half hide behind a wall of plastic cups next to the register. The bright pink displays just beyond the entrance beckon you to buy buy buy merch merch merch, and also have two screens for you to place your order sans human interaction. We couldn't figure out how to adjust the ice level on these, so we ended up going to the counter to place our order.

Prices are pretty comparable to other bubble tea shops in Denver, and have your usual selection of milk teas, fruit teas, fresh milk, and smoothies - but we were delighted to see the addition of some Vietnamese coffee drinks as well. Seasonal offerings seem to be a must these days to keep Gen Z's attention, so they also had pumpkin pie and toasted creme brulee varietals.

There are a few small round tables inside, each enough to seat 2 people and a large shopping bag, but most people seem to grab and go. Our order came out pretty quickly, and we were pretty pleased with our choices - the matcha came through nicely in my Matcha Milk Tea (25% sweetness turned out perfect for me), and the Vietnamese Coffee Milk Tea was strong but creamy. This beats Starbucks for me any day, and Niko Niko will be my hydration of choice when I'm back at the outlets.“

“I love the atmosphere and the people are wonderful. Becca was so patient and described the various items I was inquiring about, since it was my first time visiting. Not to mention the Freddo cappuccino I had was so lovely! Chef's kiss!“