We’re out of boba and here’s why:

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major congestion and shortages in the supply chain. Our country’s port and container issues are making it difficult to import supplies from overseas, especially from Asia. This affects products like apparel, electronics, and many things that are typically imported. Unfortunately, this includes boba as well.

As you may know, 99% of the world’s boba comes from Asia, mostly Taiwan, which means that several boba shops across the United States are either out of boba or running out of boba as we speak.

An important thing to keep in mind with a shortage (just like any other shortage i.e. water shortage, etc.) is that it doesn’t mean everyone is out, it just means there’s a shortage. It means distributors might order 100 cases but only receive 10. It means some businesses might have boba in stock on and off until supplies recover.

Even though we make our own boba at our boba factory, U.S. Boba Co. in Hayward, California, we still depend on one key ingredient: tapioca starch. Tapioca starch is made from cassava, which unfortunately is not grown natively in the United States (but can be found in places like Thailand and The Pacifics).

Regardless of the supply chain issues for the whole industry, our own factory is down because of this missing ingredient. We are working diligently to resolve this issue and find other solutions. We’ll keep you posted on our Instagram!

Almond jelly

Build your Drink: Classic Black, Jasmine Green, Decaf Black, Rose Black, Lychee Green Tea

Matcha & Hojicha: Strawberry Matcha Latte, Matcha Latte, Black Sugar Hojicha

Specialty: Korean Banana Milk, Horchata, Thai Tea, Ube Latte, Strawberry Rice Milk

Coffee: Espresso Milk Tea, Dirty Horchata, Dirty Banana Milk, Americano, Caffe Latte

CHIA SEEDS

Speciality: Strawberry Tea Fresca

Seasonal Specials: Pineapple Espresso, Tropic Thunder, Sparkling Mango Matcha Fresca, Hibiscus Mint Iced Tea

ALOE jelly

Build your Drink: Jasmine Green, Rose Black, Lychee Green Tea

Specialty: Strawberry Tea Fresca

Seasonal Specials: Pineapple Espresso, Tropic Thunder, Sparkling Mango Matcha Fresca, Hibiscus Mint Iced Tea

Q: When will boba be back?

A: Boba supply will be in flux for several months until we get our next series of tapioca starch shipments.

Normally when you ship things over from Asia on container ships, it takes about a month for the product to arrive. This is because the boat takes several days to reach the port, the product then needs to go through customs and finally needs to be moved off the containers and shipped to its final destination.

Due to pandemic and supply chain delays, it may now take several months.

We are exploring alternative avenues and options to get boba back in our stores though!

Q: Why does this affect your factory if it’s in the US?

A: Our boba is domestically-produced to ensure high quality (we’re also able to make it with less preservatives because it doesn’t need to survive the long trip over from factories in Asia) but we are still running out of 1 key ingredient: tapioca starch which is imported from overseas. Since we own our factory, we are affected less but shipping issues and port congestion will still make our inventory volatile.

Q: Why don’t you get the starch from somewhere else?

A: We are looking into two things: sourcing tapioca starch elsewhere and finding other ways to ship the product to our factory.

Q: What can I do to help?

A: Please don’t get mad at boba shops for running out of boba! Instead, take this time as an opportunity to try new toppings like aloe jelly or chia seeds!