Mama Chai’s, an Oasis in the Desert

Imagine biting into a mango cream with a tantalizing kick of tajin or chamoy encased within a delicate cream puff. Or savor a samoa-inspired mochi donut, oozing with the harmonious blend of hazelnut, caramel, and coconut. Mama Chai's is an oasis where taste knows no boundaries, and creativity knows no limits.

Intrigued by the allure of this oasis, we wanted to know more. As fate would have it, we were granted a conversation with Jenny Chai herself, the visionary behind this new Las Vegas establishment.

Where did you get your inspiration to open a Boba Tea & Mochi donut shop? I personally fell in love with mochi donuts when I was in Japan!

“I come from a family of restaurateurs that have been in the business for 30+ years. This has established a love for hospitality that garners a passion to give everyone a full experience. Coming from a hard working immigrant family, my experiences include family restaurants and fine dining. My mother has been encouraging me for a good 10+ years to open a boba shop. We’ve always been in the Asian full-service dining experience and I wanted to do something new. Personally, I’ve always wanted to go to Japan and we’re actually going in June to taste all the different foods. I would really love to go on a full tour of Asia. Mama Chai’s exists because of my mother and it’s where I can be a little more creative and different. Also, who doesn’t love boba and sweets? ”

Well, thank you Jenny’s Mom! Can you tell us more about what makes Mama Chai’s so unique?

“We don’t like to use any artificial flavoring and we use all real and fresh fruit, especially for our teas.”

— Jenny Chai

Mama Chai’s is a specialty boba and pastry shop. We use a lot of fresh ingredients starting from the pastries to the toppings, we offer fun and unique flavor combos. We try to create new and innovative flavor combos for our pastries, which you’ll find on our menu such as a mango cream with tajin and chamoy cream puff and a samoa inspired mochi donut with hazelnut, caramel and coconut. We don’t like to use any artificial flavoring and we use all real and fresh fruit, especially for our teas. Mama Chai’s offers a nice calm and relaxing environment where you can sit outside and take a breather. We want it to be a getaway oasis in the desert.

You have such a vibe at Mama Chai’s, as well as great outdoor seating - how do you envision the community using your space?

“Mama Chai’s offers a nice calm and relaxing environment where you can sit outside and take a breather. We want it to be a getaway oasis in the desert.”

— Jenny Chai

“We love our outdoor seating and we’ve created a great space where everyone and anyone can enjoy. It’s great for large groups, a fun date night, or even a quiet space for students to study and remote workers to get some work done during the day. It’s also a great dessert place to go to after eating dinner, hopefully after a Mr BBQ meal. It’s just a great way to finish up the night.”

Why did you choose to open your businesses in Vegas and how do you feel LV has impacted your life?

“We love Las Vegas! Because I grew up in the restaurant business, my family vacations had to be short so we always went to Vegas. We love that there’s something for everyone, so many activities, and so much good food. Vegas is such a great place to live outside of the tourism. Everyone is so nice and it’s a nice place to settle down. As a resident, it’s a little slower paced and that allows you to enjoy life a little more. Vegas has such a booming food industry, especially in the Asian food scene, there’s just so many options. We would love to be part of this and take part in the amazing food trends and make our mark in the Vegas food community.”

What advice would you give to somebody starting their own food business?

“A piece of advice I would give is that it has to be something that they love and, whatever food it is, it has to be something that you yourself love to eat and experience. When you’re cultivating and developing that, you HAVE to trust yourself and even say to yourself, “I love this so other people will too.” Every decision I make, I ask myself, “Would I like this?” even with the decor. Again, trust yourself, if you love it, then other people will too. You also want to do a lot of research and gather a lot of opinions from others such as family, neighbors, etc. The No. 1 thing I suggest is stick to it and give it some time. Don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t come out the way you want to or see results right away. It takes time, and you have to keep going and eventually you’ll see results.”

Do you see yourself expanding or franchising?

“I definitely see myself expanding into other food and restaurant ventures. I enjoy creating new things, and love the research and development process of trying out different flavors and combinations. I especially would love to expand into other Asian restaurants for sure. Franchising might be a possibility in order for others to try our unique pastries and drinks.”

Where are your favorite local spots to hang or eat in Vegas when you have free time?

“My favorite spots are usually other local restaurants such as Raku on Spring Mountain, Sparrow + Wolf, and a bunch of pho places along Rainbow Blvd.”