A New Market and Boba Tea Cafe is Planned in Novi

A Taiwan Boba tea phenomenon is coming to Novi, bringing its hand-crafted pearls and bubble waffles.

Xiao daCunha
Written By Xiao daCunha
News Writer
Photo: Official

A popular Boba tea brand, ONEZO, is working on a new location in Novi. The project, combined with a newly proposed marketplace called HERS Market, was reviewed by the Novi Planning Commission last month. The business is anticipated to open some time this fall, likely early August if all things goes as planned.

HERS Market and ONEZO Cafe will occupy a commercial unit inside the Tobin Condominium at 24100 Meadowbrook Rd. Siteplan indicates a market area occupying the right half of the suite with rows of shelves for retail products, and a cafe/restaurant on the left half with a small inside dining area featuring booth seats, four tops, and lounges.

“Our market will be a mini Daiso type of store with a variety of consumer and household goods commonly found in Asia. Customers can expect to find snacks, drinks, beauty products, kids products, stationary products, kitchenware… etc,” said co-owner and co-franchisee Lei Chao in an email, adding they are looking forward to collaborating with local vendors.

ONEZO‘s menu offers a wide variety of boba tea, including black tea, milk tea, creative fruit tea, and tea lattes, and stands out from the competition with its pearls hand-crafted every day using fresh fruit jam and other high quality ingredients.

The brand is also known for its bubble waffles and mochi waffles. “Waffles are a popular item worldwide , but our bubble waffle is in a unique shape with toppings that can hardly be seen in other cafes,” Chao explained in an email to the Novi Planning Commission.

ONEZO is an international boba tea chain established Taiwan in 2015. Currently, the brand has 32 locations in the US and only one other Michigan location in Troy. Chao anticipates HERS Market and ONEZO together to become a new trend.

“The name HERS actually comes from the first initials of my kids and my sisters’ kids. I personally have other businesses on the side, but I have always wanted to do something for the kids, and together with my sister, we want to create a space that is kid-friendly,” Chao said, adding that their goals is to have HERS and ONEZO all over Michigan.

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Xiao daCunha is an independent journalist covering hospitality, arts, culture, and community. Holding a BA in English Creative Writing from the University of Missouri - Kansas City, daCunha has contributed for various prestigious outlets including the Eater, TimeOut Chicago, the Chicago Reader, KCUR 98.3, and was formerly Managing Editor at UrbanMatter Chicago. She also maintains a personal column where she writes about art, movies, and cultural criticism.
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