Boba, also known as bubble tea, is a Taiwanese beverage that originated in Taiwan. It is a cold tea drink that consists of different flavors that includes their famous tapioca pearls that rest to the bottom. It has reached popularity overtime and grew as a favorite to Americans across the U.S.A.
Dragon’s Den is a reality TV show in which entrepreneurs pitch a business idea in hope to get an investment from the panel. In a recent episode of Dragon’s Den, marvel actor Simu Liu from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings appeared as a guest in the show. Two Quebec business partners, Sebastien Fiset and Jess Frenette, come to the show to request 1 million dollars in exchange for 18 percent of their company, Bobba. You may recognize them with a racoon mascot wearing summer shades. Throughout the episode, they explain how they modernized traditional bubble tea. “We have transformed this beloved beverage into a convenient and healthier ready-to-drink experience,” Sebastien said. Their product is a bottled Bobba drink that includes tea, fruit, juice, and their popping boba that is sold in separate packs. Liu becomes concerned of cultural appropriation surrounding this drink with taking the original and making it ‘better’. “What respect is being paid to this very Asian drink, that has blown up around the world?”, Liu asked the business owners. The entrepreneurs continue to back up their company and make their idea stronger and more informative to the panel.
Bobba has been around for two years with success racking up overtime. In the year of 2022, the company spent $2.2 million to make a profit of 300k, and in the following year, they gave 4.6 million gaining a profit of 600k. In a fast rate, they aim to nearly double their spending and increase their profit in the future. Sebastien reveals how this beverage came into light with him because of the bustling popularity and success that came from other business in the recent years. “I need to come out with something,” Sebastien said. The 1 million dollars they requested was planned to list fees in the U.S. With their current position they hope to reach 25 million because they’re ahead in their category. “So right now we are rebranding–we are working with lawyers and everything, but at the end of the day, maybe we’re going to need to add a little word after the ‘Bobba’,” Sebastian explained in hoping to make their company more individual and less appropriating.
The judges seemed to have loved their drink as they have a taste during the episode, but Simu Liu asserts a demanding tone for justice of his originated bubble tea. Bobba faces a challenge to the possibility that the issue was sparked due to their lack or research or lack of respect. The controversy caused havoc to Bobba with customers sending death threats and bullying their product across the media, especially TikTok. Both Simu Liu and the business speak out on the hate, along with one other Dragon’s Den panel capitalist. The company posts an apology regarding their actions acknowledging Lui and his ‘valid’ points made on Dragon’s Den. They explain that they never intended to cause harm, and with that they take the responsibility of their statements. Liu comes out as a potential investor and defends Bobba against the bullying and hateful comments. “There were a lot of things with the pitch that I took issue with, and I disagreed with, and as a result, I pulled out as a potential investor, but that doesn’t mean that I believe that they deserve harassment,” Liu said. However, capitalist Manji Menhas revealed that she would not be investing in Bobba. She also spoke out against the hate saying that it wasn’t right to look down on the entrepreneurs. In all controversy, Bobba may have made a mistake in altering an authentic drink into a more artificial product.
