Anna Fields moved to China when she was 22. Living in the tea-growing region of Fujian, she commonly passed women sitting outside while on her morning commute, hard at work separating broken tea leaves from whole ones over large baskets. She frequented tea farms and learned the art of conducting tea ceremonies. She also supplemented her income by homeschooling American kids living overseas with their families. One day, as a reward for doing his homework, one of her students asked to get bubble tea.
Together, they enjoyed their tea and wound up in a game of shooting the ‘bubbles’ (tapioca balls called boba), out of their straws at each other. This was the moment Anna fell in love with bubble tea. And the experience itself speaks to who Anna is; down to earth, creative, warm, friendly, and fun-loving. Her playfulness and vibrancy resonate when you walk up to the Bubble Love counter at the Nashville Farmers’ Market.
Anna has crafted a menu with twenty-two flavors and endless possibilities. Customers can mix flavors from the familiar, like strawberry and chocolate milk, to the more traditional Southwest Asian flavors of kumquat and lychee, to create their own unique combinations. Whatever flavor you prefer -- milky, fruity, or savory -- she has something for everyone.
But she didn’t set out to be a small business owner. A mother of three, her husband encouraged her to take a risk and turn their love of bubble tea into a business. After working tirelessly to create the perfect recipe, she started selling Bubble Love from a tea cart at the Nashville Farmers’ Market during the summer market. She expected to sell about 25 cups of tea each weekend. As people discovered her innovative and refreshing flavors, sales far exceeded her expectation and soon Bubble Love was available more regularly inside the market building during the week. The business did so well that when a permanent retail space became available, they offered it to Bubble Love, which is where you can find them today.
Since their inception in July of 2018, Bubble Love has continued to grow, allowing Anna to give back to the communities she’s most passionate about. She employs five people and values being able to offer jobs to people who need them in Nashville. She’s passionate about helping marginalized people, specifically those with disabilities, which has become the heart of the Bubble Love business. Ten percent of the company profits are donated each month to an organization that helps children with disabilities in China. They have also donated locally to the Nashville Humane Association, Beauty for Ashes, Break The Cycle 200 (a bike race to combat human trafficking), and have given Thanksgiving meals to families through local churches.
The roots of bubble tea can be traced to Taiwan. Liu Han-Chieh, a tea house owner, tried cold coffee for the first time during a visit to Japan. When he returned to home, he began serving cold tea at his tea shop. In one version of the legend of bubble tea, during a business meeting, Chieh’s associate, Ms. Lin Hsiu Hui, put her tapioca pudding into her iced tea and drank it. It was added to the menu and quickly became the most popular item at their tea house. Today, the anatomy of a bubble tea consists of freshly brewed tea, milk, ice cubes, and tapioca pearls. Bubble Tea has grown from its humble roots into a multi-billion-dollar industry in the US alone, to which Bubble Love undoubtedly contributes.
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