Bubble tea company apologizes after Dragons' Den cultural appropriation spat

This story was updated on Oct. 17, attributing a description of cultural appropriation to Simu Liu.

A Quebec company has apologized following an appearance on CBC's Dragons' Den, during whichcelebrity judge Simu Liuexpressed concerns that the brand was culturally appropriating a Taiwanese beverage.

The company, Bobba, sells a bottled version of boba tea, or bubble tea, which is typically made of cold tea and chewy tapioca pearls. It originated in Taiwan duringthe 1980s before it became popular in North America.

Quebec City entrepreneurs Sebastian Fiset and Jessica Frenette appeared on the show on Thursday seeking a $1 million investment in exchange for 18 per cent of their business, pitching theirversion of the popular drink as a"convenient and healthier ready-to-drink experience."

They touted their brand's popping boba pearls and an alcoholic version of the beverage.

Liu, a Chinese Canadian actor and investor, said he was concerned about "this idea of disrupting or disturbing bubble tea," adding that it was a matter of cultural appropriation, which he described in this case as "taking something that is very distinctly Asian in its identity and, quote unquote, 'making it better.'"

"I want to be a part of bringing boba to the masses, but not like this," he said. Liu did not invest in the company.

Fiset said the company works closely with a supplier and recipe developer in Taiwan but also said, because of bubble tea's mainstream popularity, that it's "not an [ethnic] product anymore."

Clips from the episode went viral on social media, with some users attacking Fiset and Frenette for the appearance. The company took to Instagram on Monday to apologize, saying it did not intendto "harm or disrespect the community that created and popularized this beloved drink."

"At no point did we mean to insinuate that our Bobba bubble tea is better than traditional bubble tea in any way."

One marketing expert says that, in the age of swift social media backlash, the company might have to change its branding to recover.

"I think on a mass audience perspective, it's for sure going to impact their brand image. I think apologizing is a good start and acknowledging the issue is a good start," saidAleena Mazhar Kuzma, a branding expert in Whitby, Ont., and a senior vice-president,managing director and partner at marketing agency Fuse Create.

But, she said, the company has some work to do amid the fallout which included Dragons' Den investor Manjit Minhas announcing that she has pulled her investment in response to the criticism.

A company in Bobba's position, Kuzma says, should: "Be clear on how you are not appropriating Asian culture and you're actually respecting it and potentially have advisers from the community."

Long considered a Taiwanese staple, bubble tea emerged from Taiwan's local tea shops before spreading elsewhere across Asia. It became especially prevalent in North America during the 2010s when tea brands saw a resurgence in popularity. The bubble tea industry in the U.S. was valued at $2.4 billion in 2024 by market research firm IBISWorld.

"I think that that brand story needs to tie back to heritage and culture and where this product actually came from in a more authentic way," she said.

Carmen Cheng, a Calgary-based Chinese Canadian food writer and equity consultant, says she grew up drinking bubble tea.

"When we're thinking about culturally ethnic foods, oftentimes people from the cultures in Canada or North America are made fun of for our food, our norms, our customs, our dress, our appearance," she said.

"And then you have someone who maybe, quote-unquote, 'makes it better,'" she said.

Cheng says said she can see how that mindset could be perceived as transformative or innovative.

"But I think, when we think about appropriation, we're thinking about taking from a culture in a way where there's a difference in power dynamic and maybe even an imbalance in how the culture is perceived," she said.

In its apology, Bobba alleged that it had been subjected to hate speech and that its founders were receiving death threats as part of the backlash. CBC News has not been able to independently verify the allegations.

WATCH | Expert says company might want to rethink its brand story:

Company apologizes after Simu Liu confrontation over bubble tea

4 days ago

Duration 1:58

The owners of a Quebec-based bubble tea or boba company Bobba have apologized after their Dragons Den pitch prompted actor and would-be investor Simu Liu to accuse them of cultural appropriation, sparking an internet backlash.

The company did not return calls for further comment.

In a statement, CBC spokesperson Chuck Thompson said Bobba's segment on Dragons' Den "sparked an important conversation but unfortunately a lot of online bullying of show participants at the same time."

"Many people have shared their thoughts and opinions in a respectful manner but we certainly do not condone the hurtful comments made by others. We support the calls for this harassment to stop immediately."