Interior Design, Retail DesignFlorence LNovember 13, 2025Interior Design, Retail Design

BEHIND THE PINK GLASS || KHAB Tapioca Turns a 1,000-Square-Foot Space into a Kawaii Basketball Dreamscape

Interior Design, Retail DesignFlorence LNovember 13, 2025Interior Design, Retail Design

Through a haze of pink plexiglass, KHAB Tapioca blurs the line between play and performance, turning a modest 1,000-square-foot space into a design spectacle where sport meets sweetness.

Designed by Winnipeg-based studio Design Shop, this petite bubble tea bar, affectionately called The Hoops, celebrates the fusion of kawaii culture and basketball energy with equal parts whimsy and precision.

*Pink plexiglass panels with black steel framing evoke basketball court markings, creating a playful yet architectural partition.* Floor-to-ceiling cabinetry doubles as storage and display, accented with bold green framing reminiscent of gym locker rooms.

The design team, led by Debbie Golub, approached the challenge of a compact footprint with the agility of a game strategist. The back of house remains efficiently utilitarian, while the front bursts with personality and rhythm. Semi-transparent pink plexiglass panels form a theatrical divide between the prep area and the customer zone, revealing fleeting glimpses of movement behind the counter. These translucent walls are framed by black steel arcs, their geometry inspired by the markings of a basketball court, a clever spatial metaphor that turns design into storytelling.

Floor-to-ceiling lockers line one side of the shop, evoking the nostalgic intimacy of a gym’s changing room while doubling as functional storage and display. Each unit comes complete with venting slats, numbering, and locks, lending authenticity to the athletic concept. The designers even included a custom ladder to reach upper compartments, while a cage of kawaii-faced basketballs hovers playfully above, serving as both merchandise and décor.

Every material and colour was chosen to balance energy with charm. The pink tiles echo the hue of gym mats, while white square tiles along the service counter add a clean, graphic contrast. Terrazzo-inspired epoxy flooring grounds the interior in a subtle athletic gray, speckled with flecks that mimic the texture of a court. Pops of bright green outline shelving and fixtures, energizing the palette like a boundary line drawn mid-game.

Mirrors, strategically placed on the partitions, amplify the sense of space while creating the illusion of a crowd reflected throughout the interior. The result is an atmosphere that feels lively even when sparsely occupied, much like the buzz of a basketball arena distilled into a cheerful bubble tea shop.

*The strategically placed mirror amplifies the space, while the tagline on the mirror* *injects humour and charm into the small cafe interior.*

Brand expression extends through every surface, from mirror signage flashing “Hello Gorgeous, Get Your Swish On” to the clipboard menus mounted like a coach’s playbook. Each drink is presented with tongue-in-cheek names such as Brulee Me, I’m Trying My Dairy Best and Saigon Drip, reinforcing the playful tone that defines the KHAB Tapioca experience. Even the merchandise corner, complete with tote bags, pins, and pastel headbands, follows the locker-room aesthetic with its gridlined green wire mesh that nods to basketball nets.

*Kawaii-faced basketballs perch on green grid racks above, merging sport and cuteness into a playful overhead display.*

Despite its compact size, the space feels layered and kinetic with movement, colour, and reflection. The pink plexiglass invites curiosity, the lockers channel nostalgia, and the lighting enhances the sense of perpetual motion.

In a city known more for its pragmatic architecture than its whimsy, KHAB Tapioca stands out as a joyful anomaly. Visitors can play, pose, and sip in style, proving that with enough imagination, even the smallest court can host the biggest game.