photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Boba & Beyond opened earlier this week at Lawrence's Central Station, at 2315 Bob Billings Parkway., to serve commuters.

A local business has opened a boba tea shop at Lawrence’s Central Station.

Boba & Beyond opened this week on a “soft launch” schedule, according to a news release from the city. The menu offers boba tea — a cold, tea-based drink that contains milk, tapioca pearls and a variety of flavorings — as well as milkshakes and smoothies. The cafe’s food options include macarons, cakes, curry puffs, samosas, empanadas, cookies and muffins, as well as prepackaged items like chips and soft drinks.

Currently, Boba & Beyond will operate from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Starting on Aug. 11, its hours will expand to 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. As the hours extend, so will the menu offerings.

The Central Station, which opened in 2024, included a vendor space in its lobby for a local business. Boba & Beyond, owned by the same people who run Cosmos Indian Café, 3115 W. Sixth St., was selected after an application process led by many partners, including the Douglas County Food Policy Council.

Amrutha Ravikumar, who owns Cosmos Indian Café and Boba & Beyond, hopes the cafe’s presence can “create a welcoming, energetic experience for commuters” at the heart of the station.

“We see this as a chance to be part of something bigger: creating a gathering space that reflects the diversity and rhythm of the city,” Ravikumar said in a statement.

Although the shop is in operation, the city will host an official grand opening celebration at noon on July 17.