I first encountered The Boba Tender, a boba catering Los Angeles vendor, at my cousin’s bat mitzvah in Los Angeles. Like most guests, I noticed the boba immediately. Kids were excited (and let’s be honest, so was I), teens kept coming back, and adults were pleasantly surprised by how elevated the experience felt. What stayed with me after the event, though, was how welcoming and thoughtfully inclusive the experience around the bar felt.

After seeing them in action, I wanted to learn more about the people behind the business and the values guiding their work.

How The Boba Tender was founded

The Boba Tender was founded by two longtime boba lovers who wanted to build a business rooted in purpose as well as creativity. As parents of a child with Down syndrome, they approached entrepreneurship with an awareness of how often people with disabilities are excluded from meaningful employment — not because of lack of ability, but because systems are rarely designed with access in mind.

From the beginning, they set out to build a company that treats inclusion as a practical, operational value. Their vision includes collaborating with local nonprofits and community organizations to create supported employment opportunities for people with disabilities, as well as hosting all-abilities boba pop-ups throughout Los Angeles.

Why boba works so well for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs

The Boba Tender primarily caters bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings, and corporate events, and boba is a natural fit for celebrations that bring together guests across generations.

At mitzvahs in particular, boba functions as a shared experience. Kids and teens are excited by the customization and novelty, while adults appreciate the quality, presentation, and care put into each drink. At The Boba Tender, every beverage is made to order, with guests choosing flavors and adjusting sweetness levels — a small but meaningful way to honor individual preference.

The bar itself often becomes a focal point of the event. Elements like their signature aroma bubble, a flavored edible bubble created mid-air, and the torching of their brown sugar brûlée add a sense of performance without overwhelming the space. It’s interactive, but still accessible and welcoming.

Designing menus with access and choice in mind

One aspect of The Boba Tender’s approach that stood out to me is how intentionally they design their menus to accommodate a wide range of needs and preferences. Rather than offering a single fixed experience, they prioritize flexibility and choice.

Their offerings include:

• Adjustable sweetness levels
• Non-dairy creamers
• Gluten-free options
• Vegan and organic selections
• Non-caffeinated drinks for younger guests

This approach reflects a broader accessibility mindset: recognizing that guests arrive with different needs, bodies, and preferences, and that inclusion often shows up in small, practical decisions.

The work behind an inclusive boba catering experience

Boba catering can look simple from the outside, but there is a significant amount of preparation involved, especially when quality and accessibility are priorities.

The Boba Tender brews their tea fresh rather than using concentrates, and their boba is cooked through a multi-hour process to achieve the right texture. The bar itself is refreshed and prepared before each event so it feels polished, calm, and ready to welcome guests.

This behind-the-scenes care helps ensure that the experience feels seamless and enjoyable for everyone in the room.

Growth grounded in values

Since launching, The Boba Tender has catered a wide range of events, from large bar and bat mitzvah celebrations to high-profile moments like the Disney Elio premiere on Hollywood Boulevard, as well as private gatherings for well-known families.

As the business grows, their focus remains consistent: building an operation where inclusion is embedded into the structure of the work, not treated as an add-on.

What’s next for The Boba Tender

Looking ahead, The Boba Tender is exploring several new directions, including a sangria tea line featuring alcoholic boba cocktails, expanded all-abilities pop-up events throughout Los Angeles, and thoughtful growth into new cities such as New York and Chicago.

What’s clear is that expansion is being approached carefully, with the same values that shaped the business from the start.

Why I’m glad I discovered them

As a photographer, I pay close attention to how vendors shape the emotional experience of an event. After seeing The Boba Tender at my cousin’s bat mitzvah and learning more about their approach, I appreciate how they balance joy, quality, and inclusion without turning any one of those into a marketing device. Also, the boba was just really good.

If you’re planning a bar or bat mitzvah, wedding, or event in Los Angeles and are looking for a boba catering experience that is both memorable and values-driven, The Boba Tender is a vendor worth knowing.

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