How San Francisco Became Fruit Coffee Proving Grounds in the United States | Eater SF
"Launched on Irving Street by owners Heng Qiu and Amy Kuang, the shop debuted a viscous, milkshake-like durian latte described as having mild sweetness. Owners Heng Qiu and Amy Kuang claimed their outfit sold the first fruit latte in the U.S.; the debut was noted as braggadocious — "It was a big claim. It’s also true." Kuang conceived the concept after watching the fruit-coffee trend in China and brought on Qiu to handle operations; they began by testing basic mango and avocado recipes. Qiu recalls, "My initial thought is 'This is going to be gross,'" and adds that the result was, "But it was surprisingly good." The team transformed Kuang’s boba-tea space on Irving Street into the initial location." - Paolo Bicchieri
