Since the pandemic, boba shops have catered to more of a grab-and-go format with less sit-down space and trying to keep prices low. It’s also increasingly common to find them packaged in bottles or cans on the grocery aisles.
When Wes Hall, another “Dragon,” asked what propelled Bobba’s founders to enter the market, Fiset said, “I was looking at the data about bubble tea, and the popping boba was just rising everywhere in the world.” If Fiset and Frenette created Bobba simply for profit, how are founders with personal and nostalgic ties to the drink doing?
Taiwanese American Olivia Chen and Chinese American Pauline Ang founded Twrl with just three angel investors, all of whom are Asian American. Their canned organic and vegan milk teas are nitro-infused and contain pea protein, which are distributed at Whole Foods stores in 10 states. Their packaged brown sugar and popping bobas are sold nationwide at over 400 Sprouts locations.
Chen and Ang have been itching to appear on Shark Tank and almost did three years ago. After some TV press, the two were in the running. “We went through the security checks, everything,” said Chen. “We got to the producers and we shared our story. It came down to another Asian female-founded company who was in the same mix. She has a great product and she got chosen, and so there are only X number of spots available [for minority founders].”
Since the Dragons’ Den clips went viral, Twrl’s TikTok account went from 350 followers to over 7,800 and its sales have increased by 700%. Chen has appeared on ABC7 in the Bay Area, where she and Ang are based, and talked about the aftermath of the Dragons’ Den episode, which included sending their deck to Liu for potential investment.
It’s remarkable that the entrepreneurs of Bobba had gotten as far as over $2 million in revenues the first year to $7 million this year—and secured investment on Dragons’ Den with a TV pitch they had no idea would anger so many. Bobba’s cofounders issued an apology, and Manjit Minhas has since withdrawn her $1 million investment from the company, probably as a result of the backlash, which included her talking over Liu while asserting that “not everything has to be traditional.” Liu, for his part, issued a video in which he pleaded with the public to stop threatening the cofounders of Bobba.
There are many lessons to be learned here. Sometimes erasure, while disrespectful, pays in a capitalistic economy. But safeguarding the histories of cultural foodways is always a much needed act of resistance. Paying homage can come in many forms, especially when profiting off something that is storied. Giving credit, learning about its history, and supporting heritage companies is just the baseline of showing such respect.
