New boba tea location in Merced to offer variety of drinks and Korean corn dogs

A new boba tea location offering a variety of drinks, Korean corn dogs and mochi donuts, is set to open in Merced later in the spring.

Mai Yang, 37, of Visalia, will manage the Merced location in addition to her responsibilities as manager of both the Visalia and Hanford locations. While an exact opening date has yet to be determined, Yang said the Merced Mall location is expected to open sometime in May.

Yang said the location will offer more than 80 drinks, as well as popular treats such as mochi donuts, tanghulu a sugar glazed fruit candy, Korean corn dogs and binsgu shaved ice.

Customers will be able to customize their corn dogs by choosing from a variety of toppings including hot Cheetos, potato, a crunch topping and Doritos. Customers will also be able to mix and match toppings to their liking, said Yang.

Yang said she and the owner of the establishment have a connection to Merced as the two previously lived in the city for about 25 years. The decision to open the new location comes from their desire to introduce more Korean food to the city.

“We like Merced,” said Yang. “It’s a good location because there’s not a lot of Korean food out there. I think bringing in the Korean corn dogs will spike the diversity of what we think everybody needs. It’s something new.”

Yang said that while living in Merced they always wanted Korean corndogs, but it’s something the city didn’t have. Not only are they bringing them to Merced, Yang said they are looking to expand to additional locations, with the next location planned for Yuba City.

Additional information can be found on the Mocha Boba Facebook page.

This story was originally published March 30, 2025 at 6:00 AM.