An average day at Mango Rabbit Boba is not unlike a day at any other tea shop: a steady trickle of customers comes and goes, some walking out with a sweet drink in hand, others sticking around to study or catch up with friends. But on event weekends, the quiet landscape changes as the Tempe cafe becomes a bustling fandom marketplace.
BTS paved the way for interest in South Korean music worldwide, and their fan base, called ARMY, is responsible for bringing the cup sleeve phenomenon from South Korea to the U.S. The"Moon" drink was a deep purple-colored berry hibiscus tea topped with a fresh lemon and a BTS macaron cookie. Mango Rabbit also offered BTS-themed specialty bubble waffles topped with whipped cream, ice cream, cereal, fresh fruit and candy.
These events are as much about celebrating fandom with other like-minded people as they are about enjoying a delicious drink. And as such, they are built on collaborations between fans and business owners.One of Arizona's earliest and most prominent cup sleeve events began with a conversation between Selma Hernandez and a few of her friends on their way to BTS' sold-out Rose Bowl concert in May 2019 on the band's Love Yourself: Speak Yourself tour.
"It really just was something that we came up with on the way to see BTS, and then we kind of let it simmer for a bit just because we didn't think it was possible," Hernandez said of the idea to bring such an event to Phoenix.were ready to try hosting their first cup sleeve event, Hernandez said it was difficult to find a location that was willing to partner with them.