NORMAL, IL — January 6, 2026

Fusion Brew is proud to celebrate its 20-year anniversary, marking two decades of serving coffee, bubble tea, and community in Bloomington-Normal.

20-Year Anniversary Celebration

Fusion Brew will celebrate its 20-year anniversary over five days, January 12–16, at its Main Street location in Normal. The celebration will include:

• The release of new anniversary merchandise

• A gift card giveaway hosted on Instagram and Facebook

• Prize scratch-off cards randomly given to customers each day

• A different in-store promotion each day throughout the week

The celebration is open to the public, and customers are encouraged to stop by throughout the week to take part in the festivities.

Fusion Brew is a locally owned café founded by longtime Bloomington residents Virgil and Rebecca Hovar and managed by their daughter, Sarah Hovar. The shop currently employs twenty staff members and first opened on December 5, 2005, at the corner of Kingsley and Hovey (now The Social on Hovey student apartments). Fusion Brew relocated to its current Main Street location fourteen years ago.

When Fusion Brew opened, bubble tea had very limited exposure in the area, and the café was the first local business to feature the specialty drink as a core part of its menu. Since then, Fusion Brew has continued to expand its espresso and coffee offerings while maintaining a strong bubble tea presence.

Bubble tea originated in Taiwan in the mid-1980s as iced teas shaken with fruit or juice to create a refreshing drink topped with bubbles formed during mixing. Over time, “textures” such as boba (the chewy tapioca pearls now synonymous with bubble tea) became a defining feature of the drink. There have been several other “textures” developed over the years including the widely popular “Popping Boba”, a soft sphere filled with a sweet flavorful liquid that bursts when chewed.