At Richard Montgomery, students have the benefit of open lunch. During this time, many travel to the nearby Ritchie Center to dine at the vast range of restaurants. A popular place that RM kids frequently visit is Jumbo Jumbo.

When customers first walk into Jumbo Jumbo, they are greeted with a warm, cozy atmosphere and the faint smell of cooked chicken coming from the kitchen. The homey orange walls also add to one’s enjoyable experience. 

Besides a pleasant ambiance, Jumbo Jumbo also offers a large selection of food including noodles, fried rice, chicken and soup. In addition, the cafe sells bubble tea, with “jumbo” bubbles! The bubble tea is a favorite among many RM students, especially since the costs are relatively low, ranging from four to six dollars. 

Freshman Alyssa Crouch is an avid Jumbo Jumbo customer. “The wonton soup is really good, and the sweet and sour chicken is good too. My favorite drink is chocolate milk tea with no bubbles,” she said.

Now, Jumbo Jumbo may have some competition. Recently,  another restaurant opened right in the heart of Ritchie Center. On Feb. 7, Ding Tea officially opened its doors to the city of Rockville, attracting many curious visitors in the area. In a few hours, customers were posting about Ding Tea on social media and spreading the news to others.

A possible reason why people were interested in Ding Tea was the inviting atmosphere. Ding Tea takes on a cool, modern style. The shop has clean white walls with twinkling lights illuminating the space, creating a bright and happy feeling for its customers.

At Ding Tea, they offer a variety of beverages, such as bubble tea, milk tea, coffee, matcha and yogurt. They experiment with new, innovative flavors like Cactus green tea, Hokkaido milk tea and French iced tea. They even have an option to add golden, honey-flavored boba bubbles.

Similar to Jumbo Jumbo, Ding Tea sells its products at low prices, from three to five dollars a drink on average. Some of Ding Tea’s drinks even sell for less than Jumbo Jumbo’s. This raises an important question: Will Jumbo Jumbo lose student customers to Ding Tea?

Some students may stick to their tried-and-true Jumbo Jumbo cafe. Other students, like junior Bright Mulusa, think otherwise. When asked about possibly dining at Ding Tea, Mulusa said, “I’m interested. I’m open to trying new things.”