Southie is about to get a little sweeter. Gong Cha , the international bubble tea chain, just received zoning approval to open a shop at 120-126 Emerson Street, near the corner of Broadway. The new spot will serve bubble tea, waffles, and ice cream, with seating for 20 inside a brand-new mixed-use building—the former site of Federico’s bike shop.

According to Axios Boston , it wasn’t without drama. The owners originally hoped to stay open until 11pm, but scaled back to a 9:30pm closing after pushback from the management at neighboring Tom English’s Pub. City Councilors Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy supported the project but raised concerns about the shop’s limited community outreach, with some nearby businesses saying they were left out of the process.

Despite the bumps along the way, the

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