Last week, the co-owners of the Quebec company DeploymentSébastien Fiset and Jess Frenette, presented themselves to the investors of Dragons’ Den (the English-Canadian version of In the Eye of the Dragon) to submit their product, ready-to-drink bubble tea.
Actor Simu Liu, a guest dragon on the show, criticized the company’s lack of recognition of the drink’s Asian origins, calling it “cultural appropriation.”
A video of their presentation (which you can see at the bottom of the article) went viral, creating a real tidal wave for entrepreneurs. They had to apologize on social networks: “ We sincerely apologize for our late response, we needed time to think about the whole situation. »
In a long message published on Instagram, the co-owners of Bobba explain some of their comments and take responsibility for their actions. They also mention that they will re-evaluate their branding, packaging and marketing strategies to ensure they reflect a fair and respectful representation of their partnership with the Taiwanese and the cultural roots of Bubble Tea.
It should be noted that the dragon Manjit Minhas, who had invested in the company, withdrew from the agreement following criticism.
In order to better help Quebecers understand the cultural debate taking place here, François Lambert made a comparison with maple syrup.
« “Here’s our improved maple syrup!” Imagine for just a moment, an American coming to tell us that we don’t know how to make maple syrup. He wouldn’t tell us that way, but in his approach, we would understand quickly and he would have a bad time. », he wrote on the Noovo Info website (article and video here).
Let us remember that, on the Quebec side, In the eye of the dragon will be back for a new season this winter with two new dragons. Meet them here.
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