WILLMAR
— Downtown Willmar has even more flavor these days.
Agg Thaw, who more often goes by “Pen,” noticed the rising popularity of bubble tea — and the lack of a tea shop in Willmar — when she was making plans last year to open her own business.
Twelve years ago, Pen was moving to the United States for the first time. She and her family were refugees from Myanmar who had been staying in Thai refugee camps. When she first arrived in America, she didn’t speak any English and felt like she was behind in school because of it.
“It is hard to catch up with people. Everybody else learned from elementary and middle school. I came in eighth grade. It is already a lot at that point that I have to catch up with. When they put me in a regular class where everyone spoke English but I didn’t. I have just caught up on it,” Pen said, “I watch a lot of movies. I actually watch Korean movies and they translate it into English so I would read it and learn that way. So I actually learned to read before I could speak the language.”
It hasn’t been an easy journey, but on April 3, Pen opened up her boba shop, Pen House Boba, in downtown Willmar.
Macy Moore / West Central Tribune
Boba tea, or bubble tea, is a southeast Asian drink which features tapioca pearls in it. The tea is often sweet with fruit flavors, or is creamy with a milk base.
Macy Moore / West Central Tribune
Pen did not set out initially to open a boba shop. She wanted to do something, but she wasn’t exactly sure what. After renting out a space, she decided to go with boba.
“If you go to the cities, St. Paul and Minneapolis, there are a lot of boba shops that have opened. There are so many people that really like boba and we didn’t have one here in Willmar,” Pen said.
The idea of opening up a business was scary to Pen; she was worried about how people would react when she said she wanted her own shop.
“When I first opened, my mother didn’t know. I didn’t even tell her that I was renting a place and was opening a boba shop,” Pen said, “Sometimes parents have a different mindset based on where they grew up. I didn’t tell my mom because I was scared that she would tell me that I couldn’t do it or that it was too much for me. Sometimes you just have to do it alone and show them the results later.”
Pen wanted to help her family, but she had no experience with business. She had never worked in a tea shop before and didn’t know much about starting a business, but she was able to find the resources and guidance she needed through the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission.
She is a graduate of
Elevate Community Business Academy
, an in-depth “Business 101” course for entrepreneurs and business owners in and around Kandiyohi County.
“I went to classes where I learned how to do business. We learn everything there. I didn’t go to college, I just learned from them,” Pen said.
Macy Moore / West Central Tribune
Despite being low on funds, Pen was able to use what she learned to open her tea house with a big opening weekend. With a line out the door, Pen almost sold out of supplies.
“I ran out of supplies in three days. I had customers lining up. I didn’t have enough machines and cups and stuff. A lot of people came and I just wasn’t expecting it,” Pen said, “When I opened, I didn’t have the money to purchase everything. I only did the best I could.”
Pen House Boba sells a variety of milk and boba teas out of its downtown location at 402 Litchfield Ave. S.W., and also offers a few snacks and plenty of flavors for customers to try.
Macy Moore / West Central Tribune
Now that things have settled down, and Pen has a few months of experience, she is looking to the future in order to see what she can do next with the business.
“I want a bigger space. I have some snacks but I want to have more. I would also like to sell fresh food. I just have a small space so I can’t do that yet,” Pen said, “Maybe in like four or five years.”
Until then, Willmar has plenty of sweet treats and fruity teas to enjoy.
Macy Moore / West Central Tribune
Levi Jones is the West Central Tribune’s business reporter. After growing up in the Twin Cities, Jones attended Hamline University for journalism and media communications. After graduating in 2020, Jones has worked as a reporter covering anything from sports to politics.
