Viva La Boba Confronts Pride Flag Pushback Ahead of Redlands Ribbon Cutting Celebration

Despite soft launching in January, Viva La Boba celebrated the official ribbon cutting of its second location in Redlands on August 8, drawing city leaders and community members to the former Vans skate shop at 501 Orange Street.

Redlands Mayor Mario Saucedo, Councilmember Denise Davis, and the Redlands Chamber of Commerce joined owners Tansu Philip and David Friedman to mark the opening. Philip, a Redlands High School graduate, said the new location has rekindled long-standing ties.

“A lot of reconnecting has happened since the Redlands location opened, with teachers, classmates, and people I haven’t seen in years,” Philip said. “A lot of people stop by because it used to be the iconic Vans skate shop.”

But the path to opening wasn’t without obstacles. Philip said the business has faced ongoing backlash since development over a pride flag that flies high above the shop’s roof.

“We’ve had a lot of flack about the pride flag and someone successfully took it down twice before we even opened. We recently got fined by the city of Redlands saying we illegally put it up,” Philip said. “Today, David (Realicore Real Estate Developer) climbed on the roof to snap photos and took those photos to the city, having to prove that we are not in violation of the city code.” This occurred as a result of Viva La Boba receiving a letter saying the pride flag is displayed illegally. 

Philip said online reviews have also reflected hostility. “We’re getting 1-star reviews because of the pride flag,” she said. “A few Yelp reviews have said, ‘Good boba but they need to get rid of the flag that promotes mental illness.’ It’s like, come on people, we’re not in Alabama; we’re in California.”

She emphasized the broader purpose of Viva La Boba as a community gathering place. “As Americans, we don’t have many ‘third spaces’ — a safe place outside of home, work, or school,” Philip said. “It’s more of a European thing, but we want to create that here in Redlands.”

The Redlands shop was developed by David Friedman of Realicore Real Estate Group after a two-year process. The owners plan to host community events including comedy nights, open mic music, scrapbooking clubs, indigenous keychain workshops, and paint-and-sip gatherings.

In addition to fostering community, Viva La Boba offers a wide range of colorful specialty drinks. Among the standouts are the IE Sunset, a raspberry lemonade layered with butterfly pea tea and fruit jellies; the lavender-infused Moon Milk Tea; and the chamoy-rimmed Mangonada. Smoothies, fruit teas, and classic milk teas round out the menu.

Philip and Friedman emphasized that Viva La Boba remains committed to its San Bernardino roots, while the Redlands expansion reflects the same blend of inclusivity, creativity, and community focus that defined their first shop.