Meet The Owners

Chelsey Ruta

Chelsey is a wife and mom of four. Before opening Brick City Boba, she received her bachelors in psychology and human resources, was a fully licensed investment banker, a branch manager at a local bank and spent 10 years in the banking industry. Her husband, Kyle, is in the US Army Special Forces. During one of his assignments, Kyle's travels took their family to Japan for six years where Chelsey discovered and fell in love with boba. She considers coming to Sanford as the best move they have ever made. When she isn't working, Chelsey loves to read, write and spend time with her family.

Brittany Nau

Brittany is BCB's Co-owner. She was born and raised in central NC and moved to Sanford in 2010. Sanford is where she started her family with her husband and 2 children. In addition to co-owning Brick City Boba, she is also a Pre-school teacher at a local Christian school. Before BCB, Brittany was an insurance agent for twelve years and was a stay-at-home mom for six years. When she is not at the shop, Brittany enjoys being outdoors-camping and hiking. She also loves spending time with her family, traveling, photography and attending church where she volunteers in the children's ministry.

Our story

After her time in Japan, Chelsey was having to travel to Raleigh or Fayetteville for boba and knew she wanted to open her own boba café in Sanford. During Covid quarantine, she started planning to open a small shop. However, she quickly saw the support and excitement she received from the community, and decide to ask Brittany for help. Even with no prior knowledge of boba, Brittany immediately stepped in and was at the shop every day. Soon after, she decided to become a partner and has never looked back.

Chelsey says it has been one of the greatest blessings of her life to open a shop in Sanford and meet the thousands of people that have walked through their door. She truly believes in giving back, especially to the place that makes them feel like a part of one large community of people with shared values.

We believe Brick City Boba is more than just a coffee and tea shop. It's a place where people can come together, share ideas, and create meaningful connections. We believe that every drink has the power to bring people closer, and we strive to create an environment that fosters community and inclusivity.

We take great care in sourcing authentic Taiwanese ingredients; and our team of skilled baristas and tea experts are trained to brew each cup to perfection, ensuring that you get the best possible experience with every sip.

We hope you visit us soon and experience our very unique drink boutique in the heart of Sanford.

Kyle Ruta

Kyle is Chelsey's husband and supports her in running BCB by leading operations and supply management. He is also our maintenance and "handy man". Kyle is currently active duty US Army Special Forces where he has served for the past nineteen years. He speaks three languages, and has served five combat tours overseas. When Kyle is not at work or at BCB, he enjoys working out, reading and woodworking.

Kayden Michael

Kayden is Brick City Boba's lead manager and Chelsey's oldest daughter. She is currently attending CCCC as a criminal justice major and plans to attend Law School after graduation. She is a part-time cross country and soccer coach at Grace Christian School. When she is not at work or school Kayden enjoys hanging out with her boyfriend and volunteering in the children's ministry at her church