This past October, a new restaurant opened in Johnson City that ties an unparalleled dining experience and a fast-food service feel while offering new flavors to the area. The Taiwan On Bubble Tea and Sushi Café made its appearance on 414 W Oakland Ave., #1, on Oct. 31 with its grand opening to the public. Providing a fast and easy sushi bar as well as a variety of bubble tea flavors, the Taiwan On team looks forward to introducing the Johnson City public to new and tasty flavors while expanding their horizons.

Exterior photo of Taiwan On. (Nikki Chambers/East Tennessean)

Preston Fowler is one of the co-owners of Taiwan On along with his father, Todd Fowler, and additional team partner, Richard Nguru. Todd first approached Preston about managing the restaurant but lacking experience in the dining service scene, it took training and dedication to get the business up and running. Coming from a sales background, Preston and Todd partnered up with Nguru, founder of Yuimaru Kitchen, for help in the business’ growth.

“It’s all new for me,” Fowler said on the recruitment of Nguru. “But we wanted to find someone that knew what they were doing, especially with Asian cuisine.”

The establishment and concept have been in the making for two years since Todd was approached, and now in 2023, the doors have finally been opened. The idea of sushi and bubble tea came from an initial founder who is no longer part of the team. Nevertheless, the Fowlers and Nguru hope to acquaint the public with what they believe the town could use more of: bubble tea and quick-serve sushi.

“It’s a unique kind of fast food, but without that title,” Fowler said, remarking their fast aspect, online ordering and drive-thru services.

Looking forward, the team will focus on keeping the business steady, growing their numbers and giving back to the community which helped them flourish. Not being a franchise or corporation, the Taiwan On team will continue to look to the Johnson City community for growth, feedback and positive changes. Directing their efforts into quality, the opening took longer than they had planned for, Fowler mentioned, but he was willing to take necessary steps to make sure their product was the best it could be.

For more information on the Taiwan On restaurant, visit https://www.taiwanon-jc.com/about.

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