For a lot of people hit by the recession, they end up pursuing a completely new career and taking a chance at a new business. That’s exactly what Don Vang, 39, did. After working as a mechanical engineer for 15 years, he was laid off due to a company merger. But that did not stop his determination or drive. Instead, he took advantage of it to start a new business, Jane’s Fresh Icy Boba – named after his wife and co-owner. Boba, a popular Asian drink known for its tapioca pearls, has been reaching popularity in the Fresno market for some time, according to Vang. Their booth has been at the Market for about a year and is located at Market on the Mall every Wednesday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vang said they chose to sell at the Fulton Mall because they noticed a lot of food stands, but not enough beverage stands. “We wanted to bring boba to the people and the market lets us do that. It’s very convenient.” They also sell at the River Park farmers market every Tuesday.
In addition to the Boba booth at the Market on the Mall, the Vangs also own a trailer which allows them to go up and down California on the weekends selling their delicious beverages. They regularly attend vendor shows and events – most notably Hmong events, such as the International New Year festivities and The Water Festival. Because the Vangs are Hmong, they have the added advantage of reaching out to their own community. “We are well known to Hmong people all the way from Chico down here to Fresno,” Vang said. That sense of community and pride is what makes their Boba business a surefire success not just to the their fellow Hmong, but to many others as well.
But make no mistake, this is not just a side project to the Vangs. This full-time thriving business, started one and a half years ago, operates five days a week all over California. So why would a mechanical engineer start a boba business? It’s a simple, but much understood answer. “We love boba and we wanted to share it with the people.”
