What does “BOPOMOFO” mean?

ㄅ, ㄆ, ㄇ, and ㄈ [bo, po, mo, and fo] are the “ABCs” of the Mandarin Chinese alphabet. We learned these phonetic symbols in Chinese school as kids. Now, it serves as a nostalgic and meaningful inspiration for our cafe— where we’ve come from and the cultural history we represent.

Commitments
to Excellence

  • Real Lactose Free Milk

  • Real Fruit & Vegetable juices

  • Premium Loose Leaf Teas

  • No High Fructose Corn Syrup

  • No Artificial Flavors, Powders, Colors

  • Exceptional Customer Service & Satisfaction

Our Mission

BOPOMOFO strives to uplift Asian American flavors and culture through exceptional food and beverages, and service.

It all starts with our innovative menu which is the blend of our bi-cultural upbringings, taking inspiration from our Chinese, Taiwanese, and American backgrounds. When executed with our “Commitments to Excellence”, our products stand out when it comes to quality and creativity.

A great menu is only as good as how it’s served which is why we care so much about our team. We aim to create a positive space for our team members where all feel welcome and passionate about sharing our product and story with each guest.

And finally, for our guests, we strive to provide a space and overall experience where memories can be made. To be a third place for families and friends to gather, for first dates, for study sessions, we simply love being a big or small part of all the stories that come through our doors.

Our History

BOPOMOFO’s story starts in the late 90s when co-founder Philip Wang first tried boba as a teenager in Northern California. He immediately felt that boba shops were a unique part of Asian American culture which led him to work at a boba cafe through college. Meanwhile, other co-founder Eric Wang was developing his love for cooking at a young age. However, he had to give it up when his parents pushed him for a more secure career.

In 2016, longtime friends Philip and Eric decided that they wanted to live out their culinary and hospitality dreams by opening a cafe of their own.

After a stressful two year period of developing their product and concept and struggling to find a location that would rent to them, they finally found their home in the heart of San Gabriel. It was time to finally test their ideas; drinks that used only fresh, real ingredients, lactose-free milk, and some crazy twists on traditional food. March 2019, Bopomofo finally opened to big crowds and the energy has only been growing since. Creating buzz on TV, social media, and through various collaborations!

Just weeks after their 1 year anniversary, COVID lockdowns changed the world and Eric and Philip wondered if they’d be able to survive. But thanks to their amazing fans in the local community, and the grit of their team, BOPOMOFO came out of the pandemic stronger than before.

Today, BOPOMOFO is known around the world by boba lovers attracting patrons from across town or across an ocean just for a bite or sip. This type of enthusiasm and attention is not lost on the BOPOMOFO team, and is the reason for our high standards and passion to deliver an exceptional experience everyday!