NOT TO POP YOUR BOBBA... The Vang family is officially taking the leap into the small business world with Sweet Boba House (2602 Craid Rd., Eau Claire). Remodeling efforts recently wrapped up with the team's efforts now focused on menu curation. (Photos by McKenna Scherer)

People around here love a new restaurant. Or new coffee shop. Or a new bar. Anything that is centered on food and drink, the Chippewa Valley wants to get a taste of it. This spring, an exciting addition is popping up on Craig Road in Eau Claire (and no, it isn’t another chicken-focused fast food joint).

With renovations recently completed at the former Monster Scoop ice cream location in Eau Claire, signage went up for the soon-to-open Sweet Boba House at the beginning of March. The specialty shop will give the area a boost into the world of boba, adding to the too-small bubble tea market 'round here. (If my boba-meter is working correctly, there is only one other place in Eau Claire that exclusively specializes in boba, and that’s the beloved, locally-owned Star Cup.)

Mai Vang decided the Chippewa Valley – where she and her husband both grew up and started their own family – was the perfect place for her first endeavor into small boba business ownership. Though the pieces seemed to fortuitously fall into place for Sweet Boba House to open this year, starting a new chapter wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment idea for Mai.

I hope (Sweet Boba House) becomes a beloved space in the Eau Claire community where I get to celebrate all the small wins in life with everyone.

MAI VANG

sweet boba house owner

Mai has spent 15 years working in the healthcare industry, including as a registered nurse during the height of COVID-19. Over the years, she has had other career aspirations – including baking – but life continued to get busier and busier. Mai was going to school, getting married, starting a career, and raising a family. As she put it, Mai and her family were steadily moving along, “doing life,” when she decided to pivot.

“Last year as I was wrapping up the end of my BSN school journey, my husband and I had a heartfelt conversation about life and our careers. During that deep conversation, I realized that I am not content doing life as we had,” Mai shared.

While opening a bakery may not have been her dream anymore, Mai found herself constantly circling back to one gripe about the Chippewa Valley: the lack of boba options. Frequently visiting her parents in the Twin Cities area where it feels like a boba shop can be found around nearly every corner, Mai has drunk her fair share of boba drinks from a variety of shops. Inspired, she began researching the industry and thinking about what she could bring to the table.

Sweet Boba House will carry classic bubble tea options – milk teas, fruit teas, smoothies, etc. – as well as kid-friendly drinks (like the “Simple Swirl,” made with fruit jam and milk), a line of matcha green tea drinks, and exclusive Sweet Boba House beverages.

“We will also have a handful of house special drinks that we created and will be unique to our shop with our own twist,” Mai said. Some of those include the Strawberry Dream Milk Tea, Tiger-Brown Sugar Milk Tea, Lychee on Lychee Fruit Tea, and Blue Mint Oreo Smoothie.

More of the magic will be found in Sweet Boba House’s range of toppings. While the shop will carry the classics, like chewy tapioca pearls, jellies, and popping boba, a more unique topping will offer a new experience for many: cream toppings. “From sweet to savory cream, adding one of these toppings can elevate the bubble tea experience, and we hope people give that a try,” Mai said.

With renovations complete, the Sweet Boba House team will spend the next month perfecting their menu – which will include snack options like mochi, cake slices, and bubble waffle on a stick – and is shooting for a late April grand opening. 

Mai acknowledges entrepreneurship is very different from her life experience thus far and hopes the community will be as excited about Sweet Boba House as she is – especially once they take a sip. “I hope to become a beloved space in the Eau Claire community where I get to celebrate all the small wins in life with everyone,” Mai said.

Keep up with Sweet Boba House online to see their official opening date announcement in the near future.

Follow Sweet Boba House on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to keep up with the soon-to-open business. Sweet Boba House will open at 2602 Craig Road, Eau Claire.