Amazon-selling student opens CUPP bubble tea store in Woolwich

Ulfat Hayat, 20, moved from Afghanistan to the UK in 2019 and is currently studying civil engineering at London South Bank University.

His family “literally had nothing” after moving to the UK from South Asia but have since done well for themselves.

Now, Ulfat has opened the CUPP bubble tea store in Powis Street after a huge success selling on Amazon during lockdown.

While still in college at age 18, Ulfat began listing everyday items on Amazon that he had bought at a wholesale price.

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He found that there was a great demand for the products due to everyone being stuck at home – and in his second month had £90,000 worth of sales.

Ulfat told the News Shopper: “I was like ‘okay, I need to do something with this, or I'm just going to waste it’.

“You don't need like such a big investment or anything to get going with this and then by my second month I had like £90,000 worth of sales.

“It was so hectic because it was all from home and we ended up putting up shelves and stuff to try and run it.

“Back in 2018 I was too young to start anything, but I remember seeing a Bubbology in Stratford’s Westfield and I thought it looked interesting and wondered what it was all about.

“At that time it wasn't as much of a trend as it is now, but I’ve always liked and I was thinking that I should go for a franchise or something like that.”

Ulfat training at CUPP HQ (Image: Ulfat)

CUPP is described as a premium bubble tea brand, with an ingredients and process-focused approach.

The company uses fresh fruit purees, organic milk and fantastic alternative milk options, as well as bespoke brown sugar syrups to create their bubble teas.

Ulfat added: “I'm excited to get going with this but I'm also under a lot of pressure because I'm still at university in my second year.

“My studies are starting to get a bit harder but I have an office in the back where I can study.

“The thing is about being a franchisee is that you don't have to be there really but I want to be there at the start to make sure everything's on its feet running.

“I’ve got people that would be able to cover my role if I wasn’t there but I want to know everything inside out before I expand.

“At the start, I’m going to be there during the days that I am not studying so that's predominantly going to be every other day except Monday and Tuesday.”

Ulfat is thinking about opening another CUPP store at Battersea Power Station in the coming months if everything goes to plan.

Ulfat and his family are originally from Afghanistan had to flee due to war and ended up initially moving to Pakistan.

In 2009, Ulfat’s dad came to the UK and worked in an off-license shop while he sorted the families' documents who were then able to come live with him.

Ulfat and his dad (Image: Ulfat)

Ulfat added: “I came here in 2009 with my family and back then we literally had nothing, and we’ve done really well since then.

“I mean, my parents are really happy for me and supportive, but they do want me to study and to get my degree no matter what.

“You are taking like a risk but hopefully it's a good risk, and it should work out.

“I think a bubble tea shop suits the area well.

“There are loads of students in Woolwich and loads of schools - the sixth formers sometimes hang around the high street after school time.

“We are right next to big names like McDonald's and German Donner Kebab and Nando's.

“I think the people of Woolwich should try our bubble tea – they’ll see the difference in terms of like, the work, the service and the product itself.”

Ulfat explained that he was rejected for CUPP the first time he applied but managed to convince the business after meeting them.

He told the News Shopper that it was the same situation with the commercial unit, but he said he was persistent and relieved their concerns.

When asked what advice he would give anyone his own age considering doing something similar, he said: “You have to sort of take a risk but you also have to be smart with money.

“Even myself, I think I tend to spend a lot and not always smartly.

“If you use that money to set something up now when you are young then you'll be much freer later on.

“I think everyone should try and save some money if they can and ideally start looking for ways to make passive income.

“In business, there's always going to be risks and doubts, but you have to go with your gut instinct.”

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