Viva La Boba taking the San Bernardino Breezeway by storm

Since opening in March 2019, Viva La Boba, is helping revitalize downtown San Bernardino by bringing a fresh new energy to the Breezeway, offering drink creations custom to its demographic and giving back to the city.

Owners Tansu Philip, 24, and David Friedman, 26, have big plans to bring even more life and positive vibes to the Breezeway, which is located at 455 W. 4th St.

“The Breezeway is going to ‘the place’ in all of San Bernardino. There’s going to be so many new micro restaurants and entertainment,” said Friedman.

“What is so unique about the Breezeway is that it will be 101 degrees outside and the Breezeway will only be around 95 degrees; the space features lots of great architecture that makes it unique. It has been great for Viva La Boba and having that extra secluded outdoor space will be special to the area and future businesses.

The duo also shared that in the future they anticipate the Breezeway will offer a full experience including dining, more drink options and more live entertainment.

Some drink options that the boba shop currently serves were specially crafted to the city’s demographic.

“San Bernardino is 62 percent Hispanic and we wanted to cater our drinks to the population. Since it was released our Horchata Milk Tea has become a fan favorite at Viva La Boba,” said Philip.

Philip shared that the Horchata Milk Tea base is made with traditional Horchata, made of rice milk; and it includes whole milk or heavy cream and black tea – oolong.

Another popular drink at the boba shop is its Chai Milk Tea, “It’s representative of my Indian culture. It’s made with a blend of spices that has been passed down through generations in my family. When we serve this drink, I always feel as if we’re giving our guests a piece of my grandmother’s kitchen,” continued Philip.

Another item that makes Viva La Boba so special to not only San Bernardino but to the environment is the special biodegradable straws made of sugar cane.

“We’ve always been environmentally conscious people. We were looking at different ways to help save the environment and the one thing that we did was create biodegradable straws made of sugar cane; it’s our way of showing that we can reduce landfill. Our next step will be to create reusable boba tumbler cups and reusable straws,” Philip said.

Both Philip and Friedman are environmentally conscious, as well as conscious of all the ways they can contribute to the city of San Bernardino.

“We have a passion for the community. Our goal is not to make a bunch of money. We are intentionally staying small. We only want to be in communities that need us. We host cleanups, fundraisers, and we’re not afraid to get political,” Philip said.

“In fact, one of our cleanups is this Sunday, August 25th, in partnership with Empowered Creations and Dearmelcee, we’re hosting a Community Park Clean Up at Seccombe Lake in San Bernardino at 8:30 a.m.,” concluded Philip.

The Viva La Boba duo was recently honored by California State Assemblymember Eloise Gomez Reyes at district 47’s annual 30 Under 30 Awards Ceremony for their leadership and contributions to the community.

With Philip and Friedman being so active in and around the San Bernardino community, it’s no surprise Viva La Boba has taken the Breezeway by storm. To keep up with Viva La Boba, visit VivaLaBoba.com.