TUKAN TEA - AN IN-DEPTH REVIEW
I've been to Tukan Tea numerous times over the first half of this year - both alone and with friends. After some thought, I decided to share my full experience. Unfortunately, things aren't the same and I don't plan on returning.
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The Good:
The ambience is great. The space is big, colorful, and great for studying or relaxing. There are three booths in the back which are perfect for large gatherings and they have games to play as well. They have plants from a local seller and baked goods from a small vendor, which I appreciate. Supporting other small businesses is a nice touch.
Pricing is decent considering the portion sizes. They usually serve one large size by default, and many drinks include toppings.
Some staff are incredibly welcoming and helpful. People like Moose, Elizabeth, Kayla, Calissa, and Tyler made customers feel welcome and they bring a positive attitude which makes connections feel genuine. It really made a difference having a team that engaged with customers.
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The Issues:
Unfortunately, the quality has declined. I've noticed over time that older staff has been leaving and they're constantly looking for hires, and some recent hires don't offer the same level of service (there's a difference with being new which I understand). I've overheard awkward interactions (for example, the guy with glasses made some interesting responses when a customer declined joining rewards), and overall energy has shifted. Waiting times are longer, and service feels less professional. There are some new girls (I don't know their names but one them wears lots of bracelets). I've noticed that they seem close but don't do anything pertaining to their job, just talking.
I don't want to put this all on staff though, as it reflects poor training and it's management's responsibility to make sure their staff is top-notch. It's clear the newer team wasn't fully prepared before being put behind the counter.
Drink quality has also taken a hit. There's major inconsistency, especially in milk teas. It is clear that this tea shop uses artificial powders to make their drinks because certain flavored milk will leave a powdery after taste in your throat. I've noticed some staff restocking from the back and they bring their inventory to the kitchen as well. It's not a bad thing since there are other powder-tea shops that are great, but it does contradict their claim of using "only the highest quality ingredients." Some milk teas taste like nothing (even at full sweet), watery, or leave that lingering aftertaste I mentioned earlier. The Strawberry Milk Tea with cheese foam was very powdery, artificial, and started separating halfway through. More than half of the drinks taste generic or powdery or lack some sort of element that makes it stand out compared to other bubble tea locations. I elaborate more on the drinks in the pictures!
Their boba is served hot/warm which is good, but the texture is overly slimy and lacks flavor which usually means the boba is not washed or has not been washed properly.
Some drinks are safer picks like their brewed teas and lemonades. The Grapes Peach Tea and Red Dragon Lemonade are refreshing and hard to mess up. I dislike the Tuki Fruity though. The tea itself was fine, but the watermelon and pineapple was rubbery and far from fresh. You're better off skipping the fruit altogether.
I also tried their Dubai Chocolate Strawberries. The kataifi was rubbery and stale. I'm assuming it's prepped ahead of time and kept in the fridge for storage but a bit too long.
While their base pricing is fair, the way they handle extras and substitutions is frustrating. If you were to swap one topping for another, they'll charge you an extra 75 cents even though both toppings are standard and similarly priced. I've never seen a boba shop do that before and it'll shoot your total up. Some baristas won't charge you for substitutions and I'd do that too. My assumption is that it's a rule from management that they have to follow if they're there because no one should be charging for swaps.
They also charge $1-$1.25 for split cups, and even more if you want to divide toppings between them. I don't want to elaborate on this because it says a lot already.
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They used to charge 50 cents for water cups, but now it's bottled water for a slightly higher cost. Again, I won't go into much detail about that but you should never charge for water cups in Arizona.
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Lately, Tukan has felt more like a business that's cutting corners from drink quality to staffing that has passion for their job as well as pricing. Last week was the last time I came in to give it another shot, and it just isn't the same as it was at its peak when it was a newer business.
My true rating for this place is 1.5 stars, but 1 is too harsh since I did enjoy smaller aspects beforehand. Tukan has the chance to do better things, but right now it's how it is. I hope management takes this feedback seriously. read more