Bubbling Over with Happiness

A version of this article was published in the Dayton Beer Advisor June 2023.

The Lounge

When you step into Billie Gold Bubble Tea Lounge, you’re immediately transported to a maximalist beach town paradise with 15 or so Tiffany lamps hanging from the ceiling, a gallery of gifted art lining one wall, a massive golden geode feature opposite. Follow the colorful racing stripe along the wall to private, handmade booths, a deconstructed antique sewing machine turned into a bar and lamp set, and a trippy heart wall painted by local artist, Rae Solvig. Step up to the rainbow glitter epoxied counter and order any one of the 70,000+ bubble tea concoctions possible.

Bubble tea goes by many names, including boba tea, boba nai cha, pearl shake, black pearl tea, zhen shu nai cha, etc. No matter what you call it, it’s a dessert drink made from tea or lemonade, tapioca pearls (or boba), and any number of flavors, milks, and more. It can be plain or wildly colorful with combinations limited only by your imagination.

Getting Started

On a family vacation in high school, Billie Gold Bubble Tea owner Nicole Cornett experienced her first taste of bubble tea and instantly fell in love. The boba in her drink turned to seeds in her mind, eventually growing into a plan to open Dayton’s first bubble tea business. But how does a hair stylist and tattoo shop co-owner get started in a whole new industry?

Cornett decided the best way to bring bubble tea to Dayton was to literally drive it to us in a food truck. After finding the perfect vehicle (a former school bus), she spruced it up and named it Billie Gold. With Pickles the Pug as the mascot, the Baroness of Bubbles brings bubble tea to Dayton food truck rallies, festivals, businesses, private events, and more.

Starting out with a food truck ended up being the best move possible because it helped her reach more people in the community than a brick and mortar shop ever could have. Before long, word spread about the happiness in a cup Cornett was offering and the business grew more than she dreamed possible. But when storing all of the supplies needed to run Billie Gold in her dining room became too intrusive, Cornett decided it might be time to explore adding a storefront to her growing company.

Setting Up a (Second) Shop

Plans were already underway to create a boat version of the truck to bring bubble tea to vacationers enjoying Crab Island in Destin, Florida. When her builder in Florida contacted Cornett to give her the bad news that the boat wouldn’t work for the type of remodel needed to run a floating business, fate stepped in. Cornett’s tattoo artist husband (Britton Asbury, Cloak and Dagger) at one time had two apprentices under his wing who ultimately fell in love and went on to open their own tattoo parlor on Watervliet Avenue aptly named True Love. When they found out their neighbor Press would be moving out, they reached out to Cornett right away. “This business would not remotely exist without other local businesses,” explains Cornett. “They’ve hosted us, connected us to the right people, and even helped me find this space.”

The former second location of Press ended up being the perfect fit for Billie Gold to grow and flourish. “I always wanted to be in Belmont,” explains Cornett. “I believe in Belmont!” After setting up the space to match the Billie Gold aesthetic, hiring and training bubble tea artisans, and finally clearing her dining room of bubble tea supplies, Cornett isn’t stopping to rest on her laurels. In fact, you won’t find her in the nice, cool air conditioning of her tea lounge anytime soon. No, you’ll find her where she belongs, slinging delicious bubble tea on the Billie Gold bus. “The truck is my happy place,” says Cornett.

Bubble Tea for All

Where will the road take Billie Gold next? Cornett explains, “I’m a dreamer and a traveler, so I’d love to bring a Billie Gold location to a destination that doesn’t have bubble tea in the area.” For other entrepreneurs hoping to bring something new to Dayton, Cornett suggests putting “one foot in front of the other. Just keep going. Stray if needed, but keep going. Things have a way of working out.”

Billie Gold Bubble Tea Fast Facts

• Most Popular Drinks: 937 Lemonade and Strawberry Fields
• First stop: October 4, 2018 at Levitt Pavilion
• Name: Billie = The name Cornett wanted to give to a daughter if she had had one (she had three sons instead)
• Gold = Meaningful color in her Chinese heritage symbolizing among other things happiness
• Where to find Billie Gold: Tea Lounge at 732 Watervliet Avenue, Dayton
• Truck schedule is on BillieGoldBubbleTea.com