Fat Straws Boba & Mochi Donuts

What Fat Straws Boba & Mochi Donuts does

Fat Straws Boba & Mochi Donuts is a privately held, family-owned quick-service beverage and dessert concept headquartered in Plano, Texas and operating four retail locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro (Plano, two in Dallas, and Richardson). Founded in 2002 by Terry and Jennifer Pham, the company pioneered the bubble tea category in the DFW market roughly a decade before boba became mainstream in the U.S., and in 2018 became the first operator to introduce mochi donuts in Texas. The core product offering spans handcrafted bubble teas, fruit teas, smoothies, specialty lattes and frappes, and mochi donuts made fresh daily from Japanese sweet rice flour with hand-dipped glazes; boba is prepared throughout the day to preserve texture. The business also runs an active catering and bulk-order arm serving corporate events, weddings, school fundraisers, and community gatherings through pick-up, drop-off (EZ Cater, DoorDash, UberEats), and full-service on-site formats. The company is AAPI-owned, 100% family-controlled, has no disclosed external funding, and received MBE and SBE certifications in May 2024.

The operating model is fundamentally retail QSR with multiple distribution overlays: walk-in and ToastTab online ordering for individual consumers at the four storefronts, DoorDash/UberEats for delivery, EZ Cater for enterprise drop-off catering, and a dedicated full-service catering sales motion for weddings and corporate events. Pricing is per-unit, with boba drinks at $3.75-$6.50, mochi donuts at $2.50 each, and Smile Pack bundles at $25-$40; catering is quote-based. The FUNatics Rewards loyalty program (2 points per dollar, birthday rewards, double-point days) drives repeat engagement, while a Mochi Donut Fundraiser and Spirit Night program targets the schools and nonprofit segment. The company employs 51-100 people and has historically grown 15-20% annually; however, expansion has been measured rather than aggressive, and franchising efforts have been paused.

Name

Fat Straws Boba & Mochi Donuts

Legal name

Fat Straws, Inc.

Website

https://fatstraws.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fat Straws Boba & Mochi Donuts is a family-owned, AAPI-certified quick-service concept operating four Dallas-Fort Worth retail locations, serving handcrafted bubble tea and made-from-scratch mochi donuts to local consumers, corporate catering clients, and school fundraiser programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bubble Tea and Specialty Dessert Shop

NAICS

Special Food Services (7223), Caterers (722320), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Bubble Waffle, Crepe & Specialty Dessert Kiosks (THAFAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mobile / On-Site Catering (Food Trucks for Events, Pop-Ups) (THAFAIAJ)

Keywords

• Bubble tea drinks
• Mochi donuts
• Boba catering
• Specialty beverages
• Dessert shop

Headquarters

HQ city

Richardson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Store Sales: In-store and online ordering of bubble tea, fruit teas, smoothies, coffee drinks, and mochi donuts at 4 Dallas-Fort Worth locations. Core revenue stream from walk-in customers and online orders placed through ToastTab platform.
2. Catering Services: Full-service catering, drop-off catering (via EZ Cater and DoorDash), and pickup catering for corporate events, weddings, birthday parties, school events, and community gatherings throughout the Dallas area.
3. Bulk Mochi Donut Orders: Bulk mochi donut orders for events and celebrations, available in quantities of 10+ dozen with pre-order capability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fat Straws operates four quick-service retail stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area selling handcrafted bubble tea, fruit teas, smoothies, coffee drinks, and mochi donuts made daily from scratch using Japanese mochi flour. The company also provides catering services (pickup, drop-off, and full-service on-site) for corporate events, weddings, birthdays, and school fundraisers across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FUNatics Rewards Program: Customer loyalty program offering points, birthday rewards, and exclusive offers for registered members.

Products and services

• Bubble Tea and Specialty Beverages Handcrafted bubble tea, fruit teas, milk teas, smoothies, Vietnamese Coffee, Matcha Milk Tea, and specialty lattes priced $3.75-$6.50, sold in-store and via online ordering for individual consumers across DFW.
• Mochi Donuts Mochi donuts made fresh daily from Japanese mochi flour (sweet rice flour) with hand-dipped glazes, producing a crispy exterior and chewy center; priced at $2.50 each with rotating seasonal flavors, sold to walk-in and online customers.
• Full-Service Boba Catering Full-service boba catering with on-site staff for weddings, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, corporate gatherings, and special events across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.
• Drop-Off Catering Drop-off catering available for corporate events, office meetings, team events, and client entertainment, with large orders placed through EZ Cater and small orders through DoorDash, including teas available by the gallon.
• Smile Pack Bundles Pre-priced bundled packs combining bulk tea by the gallon with mochi donuts/Chewy Puffs, offered for sharing, gifting, and group pickup, with Smile Pack at $40 and Smile Pack Jr. at $25.
• Bulk Mochi Donut Orders Pre-order bulk mochi donut orders in quantities of 10 dozen or more, intended for events, celebrations, and group occasions, with pre-order policy in place.
• Mochi Donut Fundraiser Program Fundraising program for schools, PTAs, sports teams, and nonprofit organizations to sell mochi donuts as a fundraiser, including Spirit Nights where a portion of proceeds benefits the partnering organization.
• FUNatics Rewards Loyalty Program Customer loyalty program offering points on purchases, a free birthday drink, double-point promotional days, and personalized offers; integrated with ToastTab and requiring member registration.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15-20% annual growth despite economic challenges including 2008 recession
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ToastTabcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Online ordering and point-of-sale platform partner for all Fat Straws locations. Handles online orders, gift cards, and the FUNatics Rewards program. Customers order through ToastTab for in-store pickup.
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partner for small drop-off catering orders and individual customer deliveries.
• EZ CaterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCatering platform partner for large drop-off catering orders, enabling corporate and event catering across the Dallas area.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kung Fu Tea: Largest U.S. bubble tea chain with hundreds of locations. Directly comparable as a multi-unit boba tea retailer; Fat Straws competes on authenticity and quality versus Kung Fu Tea's scale and pricing.
• Tiger Sugar: Specialty boba chain known for brown sugar boba. Comparable product mix (premium boba) and similar premium dessert positioning; expanding in U.S. markets including Texas.
• Boba Guys: Premium San Francisco-origin bubble tea chain emphasizing quality ingredients. Comparable to Fat Straws on quality positioning, handcrafted preparation, and multi-location retail strategy.
• Mochinut: Multi-unit mochi donut chain combining rice-flour donuts with boba tea. The most directly comparable peer on the mochi donut + boba combo offering that defines Fat Straws' menu.
• Share Tea: Global bubble tea chain with U.S. presence. Comparable as a multi-unit boba tea QSR concept operating in similar retail formats and competing for similar consumer occasions.
• CoCo Bubble Tea: Large global bubble tea chain with extensive U.S. footprint. Comparable on product mix (boba and fruit teas) and quick-service retail model.
• Lollicup Fresh: Bubble tea and coffee chain spun from Lollicup supplies. Comparable on boba QSR concept and supply-chain integration; competes in same Texas market segments.
• Quickly: Long-established boba tea chain with U.S. locations. Comparable as a legacy boba QSR operator with similar menu breadth (drinks plus light snacks).

Broad incumbents

• 85°C Bakery Cafe: Taiwanese bakery cafe chain with broad U.S. presence selling Asian-influenced baked goods and beverages. Comparable on Asian-origin dessert/beverage retail positioning and multi-category menu approach.

Emerging players

• Half Tea: Growing Asian-inspired beverage and dessert concept. Comparable on combining specialty drinks with dessert items in a multi-unit retail format targeting similar demographics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/fatstraws
• TikToktiktok.com/@fatstraws
• Facebookfacebook.com/fatstraws
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fatstraws

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fat Straws Boba & Mochi Donuts