Expatriate Division, Taipei Economic and Trade Office, Jakarta, Indonesia

Donuts may be an everyday treat for Americans, but Mochiholic in the San Francisco Bay Area offers something entirely different. It wins over local taste buds with its lighter mochi donuts paired with Taiwanese bubble milk tea. This unique combination comes from the imagination of dessert enthusiast Michael Chang. How did he start from scratch and gradually build the dessert haven he had always dreamed of?

Where Dessert Passion Meets Culture: The Birth of Mochiholic

At 16, Michael Chang moved to the United States for school. He studied economics in college and later earned a graduate degree in international relations in Japan. Fascinated by cultures around the world, he hopes to use food to connect people. "Just like music, food communicates cultural identity without language," he said. And because people eat every day, it's one of the most effective mediums for cultural exchange.

His choice of bubble tea and donuts came not only from his love of sweets, but also from bubble tea's strong association with Taiwan and its surge in popularity. It was even the most-ordered item on California delivery platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. But the beverage market is a classic red ocean, so he added donuts as a complementary product familiar to Americans. Drinks are often enjoyed alone, he explains, while desserts are meant to be shared. The two serve different moments and customer groups, helping the brand better sustain itself.

In 2020, Chang left a high-paying job in Silicon Valley to pursue his passion for desserts and founded Mochiholic, starting with a cloud kitchen and gradually building a name for himself in the Bay Area. In 2021, Mochiholic opened its first physical store, followed by two more locations in the Bay Area. A third branch is now planned for Los Angeles and is scheduled to open in 2026.

A Never-Ending Work in Progress: The Journey of Building a Brand
"The hardest, and most important, part of starting a business is building a brand, and that work never ends." Michael Chang says that expanding from one store to a franchise is a major undertaking. One needs solid SOPs to ensure consistent product quality across the entire franchise system. He spent a year and a half working with lawyers on over 200 pages of terms and conditions, submitting them for separate reviews to meet different state regulations. "The U.S. is very rule-based," he explains. "The procedures are complex, but they exist for a reason. These regulations protect the brand and your personal assets."

With limited resources, product differentiation becomes the key for brand recognition. Influenced by Japanese culture and growing health consciousness, Chang chose Japanese-style mochi donuts, which contain only half the calories of traditional donuts, letting customers indulge with less guilt. This clear positioning helped Mochiholic earn a spot on The Mercury News' list of notable Bay Area donut shops.

While shaping his brand identity, Michael Chang also hopes to promote Taiwanese culture. During Lunar New Year, Mochiholic created donuts inspired by zodiac animals, the character fu (福), gold ingots, and other festive motifs. He turned donuts from simple "two-dimensional" flavors into playful "three-dimensional" culture designs. Chang hopes to extend this idea to themes from the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and more.

Beyond physical stores, Chang is also expanding through e-commerce. Mochiholic products are now on Weee ! , the largest Asian shopping platform in North America, giving the brand wider visibility. "We've done well in the Bay Area, but once I leave this region, I'm basically a nobody," he says. With high U.S. retail costs, testing demand online helps him gauge future store expansion and gives investors greater confidence.

Building a Positive Brand Image Through Compatriot Community Service
Michael Chang stresses that cultural export isn't just about food—local connection matters just as much. What draws foreigners to Taiwan, he says, isn't only its snacks or tech industry but its warmth and human touch. He hopes to bring this "Taiwan-style warmth" to the Bay Area. Mochiholic supports local students by sponsoring events or offering donuts at wholesale prices so they can fundraise. Chang also helps disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities by providing technical training and job counseling.

Chang also stays active in the Taiwanese compatriot community. He invited junior chamber members to a DIY donut workshop and shared his own hard-earned lessons on how standardization and efficient planning can lower the barriers to entering the U.S. food industry. At the same time, he hopes to deepen the compatriot community's connection to Taiwan and broaden appreciation for Taiwanese culture. His efforts in the Bay Area have been widely recognized, earning him the OCAC's 2025 Global Young Entrepreneur Stars Award.

With Passion and Fresh Thinking, a Brand Can Truly Achieve Sustainability
Returning to Taiwan for the Global Young Entrepreneur Stars Award Ceremony, Michael Chang saw the same passion in every award recipient—a passion that mirrors his own love for desserts. "We are not just chassing profit. We hope that, in pursuing our passion, we find partners who share our goals and allow more people to see what we believe in." Having received help throughout his entrepreneurial journey, he now feels a natural responsibility to support younger generations and give back to society. This spirit of paying it forward, he says, is what allows a brand to grow sustainably.

"Influence isn't defined by scale. It is defined by values." Michael Chang believes that times are always changing, and brands must adapt accordingly. A business that focuses only on expansion risks slipping into the old mindsets of traditional industries. Grounded in its values of community service and giving back, Mochiholic continues to share the joy of desserts and the signature warmth of Taiwan, building meaningful connections one donut at a time.