Boba Tea apologizes for Canada Dragon’s Den controversy

A Canadian boba tea company has apologized after Marvel actor Simu Liu accused it of cultural appropriation in an episode of the reality TV series Dragons’ Den.

On an episode of CBC’s Dragons’ Den, the Canadian equivalent of the American show Shark Tank, the owners of a Quebec bubble tea brand called Bobba pitched their drink to potential investors, including Liu, arguing that they were “disturbing” the popular bubble tea . Marketing using just three simple ingredients to “transform” the drink into a “convenient and healthy” experience.

Liu responded to the businessmen, accusing them of appropriating the Taiwanese drink, known as boba or bubble tea, which has become popular around the world.

“I’m concerned about the idea of ​​disrupting or disturbing the bubble tea,” Liu said as a guest star on the show.

“There’s a problem with taking something that’s very clearly Asian in its identity and ‘making it better,’ which I have a problem with,” he added.

The Chinese-Canadian representative also pressed the business owners, Sébastien Fisset and Jess Frenette, on whether they have employees who understand the cultural significance of the “very Asian drink,” made with tapioca balls.

Mr. Fissett responded that their “best partner” is in Taiwan — “they make all the recipes, all the boba.”

The incident quickly spread on social media, with users attacking Bubba’s owners.

The show’s owners responded by issuing an apology on social media on Monday, saying they were sorry for the harm they had caused “with our words and actions on the show.”

“Simu Liu raised very valid points regarding cultural appropriation and we welcome this learning opportunity,” the business owners said.

They added that they will re-evaluate their branding, packaging and marketing strategies “to ensure they reflect a respectful and accurate representation of our Taiwanese partnership and bubble tea’s cultural roots.”

Earlier, Liu also took to social media to try to defuse the conflict, arguing that the pair attended the show in “good faith.”

He said he ultimately decided not to contribute to the $1 million (£765,000) investment in which Mr Fissette and Ms Frenette were seeking an 18% stake in their company because of problems he pointed out with their product.

“That doesn’t mean I think they deserve to be harassed,” Liu said in a video on social media.

Another of the show’s judges, Manjit Minhas, agreed to invest in Bupa, arguing that “there can be new views on things… not everything has to be traditional”, upon first hearing Liu’s criticism of the Canadian duo’s plan to the offer. .

But after the social media storm the offer caused, she changed her mind, saying on Sunday: “After further consideration, due diligence and listening to many of your opinions, I will no longer invest in boba tea.”

She added in a video clip posted on her Instagram account that she had to stop comments on her social media platforms due to the abuse she had received since the show.

“It is never acceptable to send hate and threatening messages to entrepreneurs,” she said.