Boba Guys Reopens in SF w/ Express “1-Minute” Takeout
Thanks to InjuredZebra on Reddit for letting us know that Boba Guys is back in Hayes Valley with an experimental “pop-up” express shop to help deal with the realities of COVID-19.
You can now order Boba Guys in advance via DoorDash and Order Ahead for their Hayes Valley store with a limited “express” menu (no customization, only the standards…) with their goal of a “1 Minute Turnaround.” There will be no walk-up orders.
- Hayes Valley location only so far.
- Limited menu + no customization (for now) – keep it simple
- Open Monday to Friday only (Noon to 5pm) – Weekends will come later
- No Walk-up orders – Order online only (contactless)
They are a small company doing their best to evolve quickly, stay afloat and keep everyone safe, so make sure to cut them some slack if things are a little bumpy or if you can’t get exactly what you want during this pilot program pop-up where they iron out their process before rolling out to other shops. Read more.
San Franciscans, you can now order Boba Guys via Doordash and Order Ahead for our Hayes Valley store. We pride ourselves on being a next-level company, so we want to take it slow as we shake off the cobwebs. We prioritize public health first (especially when our lines were up to an hour in some stores and our team who expressed concern over our packed stores), which is why we were one of the earliest businesses to close in the entire country. We know other shops were open this entire time— our peers and friends like Blue Bottle, Philz, and Soulva, and more took a more cautious “Best Coast” approach… and we are happy with the results as our regions and home state flattened the curve. Thank you all for understanding. ?? Cheers to the Nation-State, Gov. Newsom! ?
Over the last month in hibernation, we’ve seen some cafes and businesses run into issues with public health. And some reinvented their entire business model. If and when we came back, we had to incorporate all the learnings into our pilot. We know you expect us to be leaders, so we do not take anything lightly.
We call this pilot, “Boba Guys Express” (or Boba Guys Pop-up 2.0). It’s just like old times since we started out as an experimental pop-up in 2011! And just like our pop-up, we “move fast and make things” (like our signs say in stores), so this is going to be a work in progress. We hope the industry can join us in our movement.
Here’s what to expect:
Limited Menu – no customization, only the standards… we will gradually add more over time. The goal is speed and to avoid bottlenecks in our process.
Next-Level Public Health Standards – all staff is equipped with PPE and temperature-checked before every shift; every delivery will get a “Next-Level Quality” card indicating who handled the order for tracking and accountability (yes, like they do in Asia.)
No Walk-Up Orders / Contactless – everything we touch will be wiped down according to CDC and public health guidelines; everyone must order ahead via our mobile ordering site or delivery partner, DoorDash. Going mobile and digital allows us to safely distance ourselves as you can now schedule pickup times and wait in a car or nearby park in your pajamas.
Boba Guys “1 Minute Turnaround” – as we rise from the ashes, this is key part of our “Boba Guys Express” model. Guests who order from Boba Guys Express Menu off of our digital register (Order Ahead) should be able to order and receive their drink in less than a minute! In and out in a minute. We are aiming to create another revolution! ???
note: to those outside of San Francisco, we hope to roll out the same offering in your town at a later time. We are piloting in San Francisco first. We are sorry, but we needed to iron out all the issues before scaling it. Thank you for your patience.
