Community and City Councilmember Come Together to Defend Boba Shop

February 26, 2021

Past patrons, social media users and a city councilmember have come together in support of a family-owned business after becoming the target of an online smear campaign by a customer who was reportedly given the wrong order.

Cafe Tapioca, a popular bubble tea shop in Hercules, California, has been receiving negative reviews on Yelp from customer Jessica Breaux and her friends.

In her posts on Yelp and social media, Breaux has been accusing the shop owner of throwing a drink at her and her child.

She goes on to write in an online post that the owner, Tony Ly, was yelling at her and calling her racial slurs.

“The owner goes biserk [sic] yelling and screaming name calling me talking about black people and saying he can do what he wants because he’s the owner,” she wrote. “At this point I’m like please just give me my money back so I can leave, The owner threw the drink at me. Yes I said it. He threw the drink at me. At this point I am beyond upset. I’m so mad. I screamed at him. I DONT GIVE A F*** WHAT COLOR I AM. I COULD BE BLACK YELLOW PURPLE OR PINK. IM F***ING HUMAN.”

Her post also included a part that involved a white man arguing on her behalf and had engaged in a shouting match with the owner.

However, none of what the customer claimed can be seen on the surveillance footage that later emerged on Instagram.

Instagram user @jjaylen.reyes posted a statement belying Breaux’s claims along with some footage of what actually transpired inside the store.

“On February 22, 2021, a woman walked into Cafe Tapioca and ordered a drink,” the post narrated. “After waiting, her order came out, it wasn’t what she wanted, she wanted a slushy but the Owner brought out a milkshake because the Owner got confused, understandably, considering English isn’t his first language. She then creates a scene inside the establishment and then later that day the woman then went out and made a false accusation online about the incident where she claims that Tony Ly (the owner) threw a drink at her and her baby. She also claimed that he shouted racial slurs at her.”

In one of the clips shared by user @nottrrx, Breaux can be seen arguing with the store owner and returning her drink before storming out of the shop. Another video showed the owner chucking the drink in the garbage bin.

@jjaylen.reyes also shared links to a petition and a GoFundMe in support of Ly and Cafe Tapioca.

Frequent customers, including Hercules’ Council Member Alexander Walker-Griffin, also joined in on voicing their support.

Featured Image Screenshots via @jjaylen.reyes

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