A barista gives the inside scoop on newest teen hangout spot.

Fresh out of high school, Cole Tibbitts has been working at TZone since it opened in March, and hopes to stick with it for as long as he can. The new grad recently enrolled at Monterey Peninsula College. Tibbitts’ love for tea and boba drew him in and he now works as a barista at the new bubble tea bar located right in the middle of downtown Monterey on Alvarado Street.

Weekly: What’s it like being a part of a new business?

Tibbitts: It’s interesting because the managers alongside the employees are still trying to figure things out here. It’s not all set in stone yet. Because it’s a new business, all of the employees were going through the training – we were all new. We didn’t have any senior employees to look to for help, so that made it a little more challenging when we were on our own. But ultimately, through practice and asking a lot of questions, we worked things out and know what to do now.

Have you tried everything on the menu?

I’ll admit, when we’re making drinks for people there’s almost always a little bit left in the blender, so I’ve sampled almost everything.

Do you ever get tired of boba?

When I started working here, I was convinced that I loved boba and I could have it every day. But two weeks later, I just couldn’t stand having boba anymore. Now I only have it occasionally.

If you could add anything to the menu, what would it be?

My co-workers and I sometimes experiment with all the ingredients and make our own drinks. The other day I made a fresh pineapple smoothie with actual pineapple instead of syrup and it was really good and I would definitely put it on the menu.