Today we’d like to introduce you to Maximiliano Gomez.
Hi Maximiliano, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hi everyone, I’m Max Gomez and I’m the owner of Mk Boba Tea. Let’s rewind back to late 2019. I have a stable job at a bank, a good source of income, a matching 401k, and I’m in my early 20’s. It all sounds great, but working a 9-5 Mon – Fri. every week became a chore and routine; I didn’t have the motivation to continue working there anymore. Stress and anxiety began to creep in and I found it difficult to cope with. One of the few ways my wife would cheer me up would be by driving us to Tampa or Orlando and order a Milk Tea w/ boba from one of the many boba shops there. One day while drinking a milk tea, it clicked. Lakeland is a city that is growing fast with a coffee shop around every corner and yet, there are is no dedicated boba shop. Opening up a boba shop at the heart of Lakeland became my new obsession at the turn of the year. The pandemic hit soon after and I began to have doubts. Regardless of a pandemic, I went for it and the business took off from there!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been anything but smooth! Opening up a business during a pandemic came with its challenges. The kitchen incubator at Catapult 3.0 was under construction in 2020. When the pandemic hit, all construction came to a halt. Here I am trying to launch a business and there is now a delay to the construction of the kitchen. It all worked out in the end due to the farmer’s market in Lakeland opening up around the same time as the kitchen. Our main hurdle – I’m sure many business owners would agree to this – was building trust and relationships with our community. Trust and relationships are key to running a successful business. Yes, money is a factor, but money can only take you so far; having trust and building a strong relationship with your customers is what has helped my business be where it’s at today.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
So, Mk Boba Tea is a mobile boba tea business. We travel around Central Florida, attending different events & markets while providing a variety of drink & topping options. We go out of the way to make our boba tea drinks with dairy alternative milks. Doing this gives our vegan customers the opportunity to enjoy a boba tea drink without the worry of it containing dairy. I love that in my community, I’m being known as the boba guy, so that’s a lot of fun! Aside from that, I’m just a young adult enjoying the ride of owning a business. I’m learning as I go & everyday has been a new lesson for me.
What’s next?
The next phase is to own a food trailer. To me, this is the next logical step for the business. I feel as though by owning a food trailer, I’ll have the opportunity to expand our current menu and add in some food items as well! Not only will having a food trailer help expand our menu, but it offers us a chance to attend multiple markets at once. The endgame of course is to own a brick & mortar, but for now, my main focus is on a food trailer that will take us to that next step.
Pricing:
- Sm drinks $5.25 – $5.75
- Lg Drinks $5.75 – $.625
Contact Info:
- Email: mkbobatea@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mkbobatea/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mkbobatea
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MkBobaTea
Image Credits
Maximiliano Gomez Ina E Applegate
