March 28, 2024

SCHAUMBURG —  Te’ Amo, is the organic boba bar that has taken social media, Chicago, and now the suburbs by storm.  

The business was founded by a group of young Asian American women. They opened their first boba bar in 2018 in Hyde Park and have since expanded to 4 locations, with 3 more currently under construction.  

The group says they’re more than just a tea bar but rather a place of empowerment, support, and a form of mentorship to employees and community members.   

With May being Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, WGN News Now spoke with one of the founders, Mia Wan, about the importance of sharing and celebrating their culture all year long.  

Wan welcomed the team into their new Schaumburg location which opened in March.  

“This month is really special and it’s really meaningful to us,” said Wan. “As a woman owned business, we totally understand how important it is for us to support each other. We give thanks that we survived the pandemic, and we thank everyone who comes and show support – that means we’re doing the right thing,” 

Their menu has a variety of tea options like lattes and specialty drinks, all uniquely enclosed in a clear cup with esthetically pleasing results. 

And you can’t forget the boba.  

“Boba has a lot of different names. It used to be called bubble,” said Nan. “It’s made with tapioca starch, and the texture is really chewy like a gummy bear.” 

Every order is packaged with a bit of love and culture.  

“I grew up in China, “said Wan. “We would drink tea every day in the morning with our friends and family. For us, tea is not only a drink but it’s also good for your health and a good connection with your friends and family because we always sit together to chat and enjoy the good time. Once I moved to America to study at Purdue University, I was really missing my hometown and missing my tea. And that’s how I decided I wanted to start my own bubble tea shop. But also, we want to share the tea culture with people here.” 

Their name is a bit of a play on words. Te’ Amo means I love you in Spanish.  

“How we came up with the name is the first three letters is “tea” so it’s I love you, I love tea,” said Wan.  

And even if you don’t support their business specifically, the Te’ Amo team hopes you find a great Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) business to support.  

“I also hope this month everyone can search online and find a woman business and try to support a woman business for this month,” said Wan. “That would mean a lot for us.”