FruiTea Bubbles Café: Brimming over with success
Lisa Lindsay opened FruiTea Bubbles Café in 2022 after a successful run of selling pitchers of her smoothies and pressed juices to friends and a growing clientele of people in her community. She says the idea of her enterprise comes from a childhood surrounded by British-Caribbean traditions such as daily teatime and an appreciation of fruity flavors.
As for growing her Cobb County-based business, Lisa gives credit to the Urban League of Greater Atlanta’s range of programs that promote small business longevity.
“I gained a deeper understanding of my business through the education and support from ULGA coaches when I came to the League in early 2024,” Lisa said. “They also helped me connect with other small businesses.”
Lisa explained that her confidence and financial strength grew through programs the League operates in partnership with Cobb County. First, Lisa entered and won $20,000 in the Cobb County Initiative grant pitch contest. Next, she networked with other small businesses in events sponsored by the Cobb Economic Development team. That outreach led her to apply for a quarterly grant offering, winning $10,000.
Further, ULGA coaches introduced Lisa to Cobb Works Employee Resources. There, she partnered with the Cobb Works team to hire youth to work at FruiTea Bubbles Café. Cobb Works pays the salaries for the young people to get hands-on job experience and knowledge in successful enterprises.
Lisa also signed up for the League’s Restaurant Accelerator program that bolstered her skills in operational processes and networking. As a result, she developed a sales partnership with CheRene Macarons, pairing the sale of bubble tea and macarons.
Finally, through the League’s Capital Readiness Procurement Accelerator, Lisa has earned her Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, Small Business, and Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certifications.
“I encourage small business owners to see how the Urban League of Greater Atlanta can help you stabilize and thrive,” Lisa said. “We all have a lot to learn in order to advance in a rapidly changing environment.
“The League gave me access to capital, the tools to strengthen my operations, and the encouragement to pursue expansion opportunities I had not previously considered. Because of their guidance, I’m building a scalable, community-rooted brand that’s not only surviving but thriving.”
