Construction is underway Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023, for Moe's Tea in downtown Pendleton. Owners Moe Soeum and Whitney Minthorn hope to open doors Sept. 1.

PENDLETON — Downtown Pendleton is getting a new tea shop next month.

Moe Soeum, who owns the downtown location of Moe Pho and co-owns the Wildhorse Resort & Casino location with Whitney Minthorn, is opening Moe’s Tea on the corner of Southeast First Street and Emigrant Avenue. The new shop, which they also co-own, will serve a variety of boba tea flavors, specialty drinks, espresso and grab-and-go pastries.

Soeum and Minthorn said some popular tea flavors will include taro, honey dew, strawberry milk tea with fresh strawberries. While Moe Pho sells some boba tea, the tea-focused shop will have more flavor options.

With the restaurant under construction, Minthorn and Soeum said they hope to open on Sept. 1, before the Pendleton Round-Up.

“It’s a trend right now,” Soeum said about his inspiration to open a tea shop. “Everywhere you go, it’s boba tea.”

Whitney said plans for the shop were in the works for the past two years. The owners received a $20,000 Path to Success grant this year from the Pendleton Development Commission after unsuccessfully applying for the grant a year before.

Moe’s Tea is one of four local businesses to receive a Path to Success grant this year, according to Minthorn and Soeum. The annual grant competition awards a forgivable $20,000 loan to winners as long as they meet certain criteria.

After opening Moe’s Tea, Soeum said the next project is Moe’s Market adjacent to the tea shop. There is no anticipated opening date for the market, but he said it could take a year.

Soeum said in the future he wants to expand Moe Pho to the Tri-Cities as well.

“I just want people that come in to enjoy a nice meal and drinks,” he said, “and tell all their friends ‘stop in Pendleton, there’s Moe’s.”