Malaysian bubble tea chain Daboba has opened in Worcester

WORCESTER – The Malaysian bubble tea shop chain Daboba opened its newest location Saturday at 8 Franklin St.

Alex Do, one of the two partners who operate the shop, said this is the first location in New England. Other locations are in Chicago; Miami; Houston; Seattle; Dallas; San Diego; Denver; Fort Worth, Texas; and Garden Grove, California.

Daboba had a soft opening Friday and a grand opening the following day.

Bubble tea is a drink known for its use of tapioca, or boba, recognizable by the spotty look they form at the bottom of the cup they’re served in.

Stores serving the drink have become more common in Worcester. Gong Cha opened in February 2022 just down the street from Daboba, and two other locations operate in the Canal District: Bubble Bee Café in the Worcester Public Market and OneZo Worcester on Water Street.

Daboba was established in Taiwan in 2018 and is now based in Malaysia.

Do, who also owns Mademoiselle Nails & Spa in Northborough with Howie Quach, his partner at Daboba, said owning a store of this kind had been “a dream” for them.

“We wanted to bring something different to the city,” said Do. “We didn’t want to duplicate the more popular bubble tea brands that are often seen in the area.

“We went with Daboba because it’s a popular brand especially in Asia, where the drink is originally from.”

The most popular versions at Daboba are the roasted brown sugar options, according to Do, which are served with brown sugar and milk and a last touch of torching the milk and the bobas, which sit at the top of the cup.

Others versions are made with regular tea flavors, such as green or black tea, and also the classics of Japanese roasted milk tea and grass jelly milk.

Daboba also features bubble tea drinks with honey golden pearl bobas and ones with a yogurt base instead of the tea.

Between the medium and large sizes, the price ranges between $5 and $7 per cup.

The space on Franklin Street where Daboba does business is no bigger than a typical living room. It was the previous location of Oishi Japanese Restaurant, which moved to 389 Main St. last September.

Previously the space had been home to Franklin St. Deli & Market, Old World Delicatessen and Woosta Pizza, which is now at 407 Main St.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Daboba bubble tea chain opens first New England location in Worcester