[Spotlight] Handmade boba plant pot entrepreneurial duo

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Boba, or bubble tea, breathed fresh life into the age-old tea industry and gave way to an almost cult-like following (yes, I’ve been guilty for years).

Like any healthy obsession, the global trend has spurred every type of boba merch and gift imaginable, from bubble tea lamps to scrunchies with tapioca pearl prints.

This story is about two creative entrepreneurs who decided to take their handmade boba-inspired plant pots to Etsy to cater to boba loving plant parents. Here’s a bit about how Rumi's Goods got started!

Visit their Etsy Shop: Rumi's Goods

How Rumi’s Goods got started in the boba merch business

Like many restless couples, Wyatt and Kathy began tinkering around with gardening after the pandemic struck, which inspired the idea to craft cute plant pots that they couldn’t seem to find anywhere. After playing around with some painted designs on their own pots, the boba tea plant pot was born. Wyatt and Kathy took to Etsy to share their creation, where the first one sold within hours.

They also saw success selling the pots at local craft fairs in their old home of Davis, California.

rumis goods team — The faces behind Rumi’s Goods: Wyatt, Kathy, and their dog Rumi

Rumi’s Goods (named after their dog), now sells 11 different designs modeled after popular boba tea flavors like tiger milk tea, taro, and thai tea. In the past year, they’ve sold an impressive 1,000 pots, each hand-painted with clay faces and tapioca balls.

Why boba?

boba pot with drain hole — *Rumi’s Goods’ boba plant pots have a drainage hole to ensure happy, healthy, well-drained plants.*

The face of the product is quite literally boba tea, which ties together Wyatt and Kathy’s shared hobbies and interests in crafting and boba tea.

Their understanding of boba’s widespread popularity has also lent itself to their success. After all, almost anyone is able to immediately recognize that the gleefully smiling faces and black circles on the plant pots are bubble tea without any context needed.

Bubble tea has become such a cultural icon because it has something for everyone. Whether you enjoy a sweet fruit-based tea or rich milk tea, boba tea has a wide variety of options that can cater to a range of people. It's also something that you can go get with your friends and hang out at the boba shop playing games. - Wyatt, Rumi’s Goods

Bubble tea has also been an accessible gateway for people to learn about tea in general, such as taro milk tea or hojicha milk tea. This is precisely how I discovered many less commonly known teas in the United States, such as guan yin and jin xuan oolongs.

Future boba merch plans

Beyond boba plant pots, Wyatt and Kathy have also cooked up a boba card game, because what better way is there to enjoy your tea with friends?

It took a few month of careful planning and development, but eventually Boba Blast! The Card Game for Boba Lovers was born. They’ve also designed and released stickers and a plush modeled after the game’s characters for superfans to get a well-rounded adorable experience.

In the future, they are planning to add on more boba character plushies to their product line and explore new ways to spread the bubble tea cheer. Follow them on their Instagram to see what entrepreneurial venture is next!

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Shop and learn more about Wyatt and Kathy’s boba tea merch:

Boba plant pots on Etsy: etsy.com/shop/RUMISGOODS

Boba Blast! The Card Game: store.bobablastgames.com

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about the author

Hello, is it tea you’re looking for? Raquel is an Arizona-based tea drinker who writes about tea as a side hobby. Her current favorites are Earl Grey with a splash of milk and any Japanese green tea.