Bay Area favorite bringing a taste of Asia to Clearwater

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Ordering authentic Taiwanese Boba tea usually requires a plane ticket to Taipei. Now, thirsty patrons simply travel to Clearwater to get the same original taste.

"We looked around in Clearwater and there really was nothing authentic for bubble tea around," said Machi Boba owner Wayne Ma.

Located at the intersection of U.S. 19 and Jeffords St., Machi Boba offers dozens of flavors and toppings. But their menu options extend far beyond just Taiwanese cuisine.

"It’s a mixed culture of Taiwan, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese," said Ma. "We have Taiwan tea, Vietnamese sandwiches, ramen, udon, Korean corndogs, and 10 Yen pancakes which is really popular in Japan right now."

In 2018, Ma and his wife Thuy Khanh launched Machi Boba in Pinellas Park. Now they have two stores serving customers in the Clearwater area.

"Bubble tea is a really big culture in the Asian community. It’s more popular than coffee or Starbucks," said Ma. "You can always mix and match everything. So, everything we make is actually custom-made for you."

To learn more about Machi Boba, click here.

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