Less than a year after opening its doors, a locally-owned boba shop in Marana is now an award-winning business.
On Thursday, February, Discover Marana handed out its latest Taste of Marana STANDOUT Award to Boba Cucue during the Concerts in the Courtyard event.
“To be given the award is such an honor, it sounds silly that I am emotional about it, but we worked really hard for this,” said Sharon Walker, owner of Boba Cucue. “It has been such an adventure over the last year, I am so glad to be here.”
Boba Cucue is the fourth recipient of the award, which recognizes local food-focused businesses based on community nominations. Many of the submissions for this STANDOUT Award highlighted:
- The shop’s use of fresh ingredients
- Excellent service
- A welcoming environment
- Variety of boba options on the menu
“Amazing atmosphere with authentic Boba,” said Kelci Camo (one of the submissions). “The inside is charming, cheerful, and brilliantly decorated! The staff love their work and take time to connect while providing orders in a timely manner.”
Celebrations often come in waves, too. The shop, which is located at 8225 N. Courtney Page Way, hosted its one-year anniversary last week — just a couple of days after receiving the award.
“It’s important to recognize people like Sharon and her team for the dedication and hard work they put into their business,” said Stefanie Boe, Tourism and Marketing Manager for the Town of Marana. “Boba Cucue was nominated and approved in the of summer 2024, but they’ve been so busy making their business a success, that finding the right time to present the award was a challenge!”
More About the Shop
Boba Cucue is known for its Asian-style drinks made up of Taiwanese boba and Hong Kong-inspired tea. They also have Asian hot snacks, dumplings, and the fan-favorite waffle pop on deck.
Walker and the team’s top three must-try drinks:
- Brown Sugar Milk Tea – “Most common and popular one sold.”
- Strawberry Crema X – “Strawberry blended drink, everybody loves it.”
- Galaxy Rainbow – “Hands down the most beautiful drink, caffeine-free.”
It is one of two locations in Southern Arizona and is family-run and operated. Its second location off Golf Links Road opened eight months after the Marana location got started.
For more information, visit bobacuecue.com.
About the Standout Award
The Taste of Marana STANDOUT Award is part of Discover Marana’s initiative to promote the local dining scene and showcase the stories behind the restaurants.
“A strong dining scene is an important part of tourism and a thriving community.”
Discover Marana invites the public to nominate their favorite local restaurants for the next award.
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
