Rumors of a shortage of bobs arose last week when several media reports on an Instagram post by Boba Guys reported that a shortage of tapioca balls in the industry was imminent. But is it really true? And if so, how bad can it get?
While Boba Guys, who also runs the American Boba Company, itself is experiencing a shortage due to global supply chain issues (in this case not the receipt of imported tapioca starch from Thailand due to a stack of shipping containers in US ports ), which is reported as a shortage in the industry, appears to be an isolated incident that will only affect tea shops that obtain tapioca balls directly from the American Boba Company. Conversely, multiple boba stores in Los Angeles, as well as boba manufacturers in Taiwan and the US, say they are not worried about the future of their boba supply, which means bobs at local tea shops across the San Gabriel Valley. and after that is unlikely to materialize – despite the shortfall reports.
That said, as news articles about the pending ‘boba-pocalypse’ went viral, some manufacturers began raising prices and limiting the number of tapioca balls that could be purchased – apparently in response to orders picked up by tea shop owners. “Some store owners just panic and try to order more than they need,” says Stacey Kwong, co-owner of Milk + T, which has three locations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Portland. This behavior, which reflects the toilets of buying toilet paper in March 2020, has a detrimental effect on smaller, independent businesses that do not have as much purchasing power as larger chains, although it has not led to a collapse of the boba ecosystem not.
The panic has caused Tea Zone, one of the largest boba suppliers to American tea shops, to run out of its most popular range of tapioca balls – the A2000, says Kwong. While Tea Zone has a low supply of the A2000 variety, the A1000 line with less Q texture is still adequate. ‘If a small shop no longer has grandparents, then just know it’s not their fault. Do not go and give them a bad Yelp rating. It is a small business that is part of the community, ”says Kwong.
“There is no need to worry,” says Tomas Su, owner of Sunright Tea, one of the fastest-growing top chains in California, with several locations in Los Angeles, including West LA, Little Tokyo, Monterey Park and Rowland Heights. Su explained to Eater LA that although its tapioca ball manufacturer in Taiwan is experiencing slightly lower production due to the government restrictions placing water consumption after drought, it should not affect Sunright Tea’s 11 locations. ‘In the absolute worst case scenario, maybe your little local mom-and-pop boba shops [won’t] have boba on the menu for a day or two, or they have to reach out to another distributor, but that will not affect the boba drinkers, because most stores buy months in advance, ”says Su.
While Boba Guys may point to supply chain issues due to the recent shortage, some stores have better precautions to prevent such disruptions, which are common for businesses that are heavily dependent on exports. “Our boba supply chain is more than equipped to deal with any delays that may arise. There is no shortage, ”says Chingyi Fu, general manager of Meet Fresh, a growing chain of six-location Taiwanese dessert shops in Los Angeles that sources bobs from Taiwan. Representatives of Tiger Sugar, Yifang, Junbi and Onezo also reported that they are not worried about a boba deficiency.
‘I am not worried; we are prepared and have a good stock. I have enough boba for the next two months – I will be fine, ”said Elton Keung, owner of two Labobatory tea shops in the San Gabriel Valley. Keung indicated in a recent Los Angeles Times article that its regular boba supplier is sold from tapioca balls. He explained to Eater LA that his stores could make baboons from scratch if the shortage extends beyond the two-month offer.
The boba deficit news last week caused anxiety among boba enthusiasts. “When I heard there was a shortage of bobs, I had a low key. Boba is my lucky treat and I get it weekly and it’s going to be a luxury now, ”said Loreen Hwang, a LA resident who usually visits Yifang, Sunright, 7 Leaves and LA Tea Lounge. When Hwang visited YiFang and inquired about the shortage during a recent visit, she was informed that it is not a problem.
“Boba is running in my blood. When I first heard that I was shocked by a mixture of fear, “said Evelyn Koo, a resident of LA, of which Half & Half, Tastea, Wushiland, Chicha SanSen and BobaPop contain the favorite tea shops. Stock of tapioca starch and ingredients to make it yourself, especially after what we learned from this pandemic, “says Koo. On Koo’s last boba run, however, she did not notice any signs of a boba shortage or price increases at the store.
While the aforementioned boba shortage last week will affect some tea shops, the majority will not be affected due to short-term outages caused by recent storage rather than supply chain problems. Boba drinkers can rest assured that a boba will be available next time they visit their favorite store.