2 new-to-Alabama concepts coming to Huntsville’s MidCity District – AL.com
By Paul Gattis | pgattis@al.com
Bubble tea and contemporary decorate-it-yourself ceramics will be introduced in Alabama in first-of-their concepts in the state at the $850 million MidCity District under construction in Huntsville.
MidCity developers RCP Companies announced Wednesday that Kung Fu Tea and Color Me Mine will open their first locations in Alabama while Kamado Ramen will open its second Huntsville location at the district.
Kung Fu Tea, which has more than 200 U.S. locations as well as locations in five other countries, will share a suite with Kamado Ramen next to REI Co-op. Construction is underway and Kung Fu Tea is scheduled to open in the summer.
“Bubble tea shops have become part of the tapestry in many North American cities, particularly those with large Asian populations, such as Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Toronto,” the RCP announcement said.
Kamado Ramen is an authentic Japanese ramen restaurant, the announcement said, with a location in Huntsville at the Stovehouse development near downtown.
Related: Want a bowl of exotic comfort food? Try this new ramen spot
“Ramen is a culinary staple that Huntsville was craving and missing out on,” Jim Xue, the operator of Kamado, said in the announcement. “The initial response from our first Kamado Ramen location has been incredible. We are looking forward to the accessibility and expansion of space at our second shop at MidCity to meet the demand from our amazing customers and those who have not tried our traditional ramen yet. The combination of ramen and bubble tea together will be a complimentary foodie experience.”
Color Me Mine is a hands-on concept where customers “will enjoy the upscale art-as-entertainment service at the 1,000 square-foot studio as they choose one of 400 unfinished pieces and spend an hour or two painting it to express their own vision,” the announcement said. “Ceramic pieces are left to be glazed and fired, then picked up when finished.”
It is also scheduled to open in the summer.
“The mission statement of Color Me Mine is to make the unique and creative experience of ceramic painting accessible, affordable, worthwhile and fun for everyone,” Angela McGhee, owner of Color Me Mine Huntsville, said in the announcement. “We plan to incorporate this mission into the Huntsville branch and bring this unique experience to the community.”