Cause for closing: Brew Tea Bar upgrades interior

Sou Ngo had no choice on a recent Monday but to turn away loyal customers.

Then he’d lock the door to his southwest Las Vegas Valley boba tea shop and unpack a box or approve a design, before looking up and seeing more customers at the door eager to order a tea-based drink mixed with tapioca balls.

Monday, Feb. 26, marked the first day of renovations for Brew Tea Bar at 7380 S. Rainbow Blvd. It would be the first time since its opening in June 2015 that the shop wasn’t open for normal business hours.

“This is happening a lot,” Ngo said, sighing, after apologizing to another customer.

Ahead of Brew Tea’s third birthday, Ngo and his partners Louis Chou and Dennis Quan plunged into a three-week project to redesign the store.

“We always planned to do this. We wanted the store to be a space that fits our culture,” Ngo said. “As we’ve grown in the last three years, we started to better understand our branding and what kind of direction we wanted it to go.”

The three initially imagined Brew Tea’s menu defining their brand, Ngo said, but over time, they discovered customer service was their calling card. Some two years later, with the encouragement of their customers, they opened a second location in Henderson.

“What always brings me back is their amazing customer service,” said Daniel Tamayo, who stops in on an almost daily basis. “Any boba shop can sell teas and coffee, but what’s awesome about Brew Tea is that they really take the time to know each customer to give them their perfect drink. They always greet everyone with a smile and they try to remember each customer by name.”

Since June 2015, the original Brew Tea has maintained a five-star rating on Yelp, with more than 1,200 reviews. Its sister shop has upheld an identical Yelp rating since it opened in September 2017.

“If you look on Yelp, most of our reviews are based on our customer service,” Ngo said. “Our regulars come here for our staff and they really enjoy talking to our employees because everyone we hire, they have their own unique personalities.”

The co-owner said customers can expect a larger menu and a more efficient operation with shorter wait times and a “cleaner, better design.”

Though the lobby itself will remain the same size, Ngo said the renovations will allow for a smarter use of the space.

“It’s not about making it ‘Instagrammable,’” he emphasized, using his fingers to form airquotes. “We tried to keep the design true to our teas to really represent us, so the details and earthy tones were pulled from our menu and the three of us decided together on every little detail, right down to the trims and the woods customers will see in the store.”

Brew Tea is slated to reopen March 19. New menu items will be unveiled at both locations that day.

Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.