Milk Tea People, the downtown Denver tea bar known for hand‑whisked matcha and mochi‑waffle “wafchis,” is trading its tucked‑away Market Station paseo nook for a splashy corner storefront at 16th and Blake. The shop is stepping up from roughly 1,000 square feet and eight seats to about 2,800 square feet of street‑facing space, with an opening targeted for midsummer. The new location is set to bring more seating, a fuller kitchen and expanded service while keeping the minimalist, tea‑centric vibe regulars line up for.
New storefront and build‑out costs
According to BusinessDen, co‑founders Timothy Gardner and Kevin Ung are moving Milk Tea People into a 2,800‑square‑foot corner unit inside Market Station, with public records pegging the build‑out at roughly $1 million. In its application, the company sought about $1.5 million toward a roughly $1.8 million relocation, but the Downtown Development Authority ultimately approved a $640,000 loan to help cover the costs. The owners told BusinessDen they do not anticipate a gap in service during the move and intend to carry the cafe’s calm, minimalist design into the new digs.
DDA backing and downtown strategy
The support for Milk Tea People is one piece of a much larger downtown reboot funded through the DDA, which unlocked roughly $570 million after voters agreed in 2024 to expand the authority and green‑lighted an initial tranche of about $100 million in awards, Westword reports. City officials say the awards are designed to pull people back to the 16th Street Mall by backing retail activations, park upgrades and office‑to‑housing conversions. They describe the financing as a public‑private tool that will be repaid by future tax revenues rather than the city’s general fund.
Menu, staffing and sourcing
BusinessDen also notes that Milk Tea People plans to hire at least 15 new employees on top of its current ten‑person crew, using the extra square footage to stretch both its menu and its back‑of‑house prep area. Staff already handle many components from scratch - chopping fruit and pureeing it in the back - and the shop sources ceremonial matcha from Kyoto and Uji while pulling tea leaves from provinces in China. Drinks are currently served in a single size at around $9, and the signature wafchi, a waffle‑mochi hybrid, is not going anywhere.
Market Station and retail outlook
Market Station has steadily been filling out its retail lineup since the mixed‑use complex opened, and city leaders are betting that visible, street‑facing tenants will help bring new life to the corridor, according to reporting from the Denver Gazette. Projects that receive more than $500,000 still need City Council approval, and officials say the DDA’s investments are meant to spark additional private leasing and spending along 16th Street. For everyday downtown visitors, the most noticeable change will be a walk‑up tea bar right on the corner where a hidden stall once tried to get noticed.
Co‑owners say the shop will stick to its tea‑first philosophy even as the footprint grows, and regulars can expect to see the new storefront open by midsummer. This story will be updated as the opening date is locked in and final menu additions are announced.
