Mochi Mochi provides second family for workers, second home for students
Shao Kai Li owns both Mochi Mochi and Poke Fish, two businesses right off SU’s campus. The mochi donut restaurant opened in December 2024, selling milk tea, wings, sandwiches and, of course, the trademark mochi donut. Leo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
Oscar Kuan Lo never thought he would find a second family after moving from Taiwan to the United States for high school. Then, he started working at Poke Fish last year and grew close to the owner, Shao Kai Li, by interpreting for him.
When Li decided to open a second business, Mochi Mochi, he called on Lo to help train new employees.
“I didn’t feel very connected with the Asian people in Syracuse until I started working,” Lo, a Syracuse University junior, said. “And as time goes on, I really feel like they’re a family to me. Li and his wife are like parents to me.”
Li owns both Poke Fish and Mochi Mochi, two businesses right off SU’s campus. Mochi Mochi opened in December of 2024, selling milk tea, wings, sandwiches and, of course, the trademark mochi donut.
Mochi donuts are made up of connected spheres instead of one piece of dough and come in a variety of sweet and savory flavors. Mochi Mochi cashier and SU senior Liliana Moreno usually describes the product to customers as a bit fluffier and sweeter than a normal donut.
Though American students love Dunkin’ and other donuts, most of them have never tried a Mochi donut, Lo said. For him, the dessert is a childhood favorite. He remembers his mom taking him to get them as a sweet treat. He enjoys watching customers’ reactions to trying the new food.
“First, they feel surprised, and then they say, ‘Wow, it was really good,’ and you see them come back again,” Lo said. “That’s what makes me feel the most accomplished, bringing a new culture to them.”
Most of the cashiers at Mochi Mochi are students, which helps customers feel more welcome and connected to the business, said Li, who used the help of an interpreter when speaking with The Daily Orange.
“It’s part of the culture to be young, energetic and friendly towards our customers, and students do that the best,” Li said.
A majority of Mochi Mochi’s customers are Asian international students, Moreno said. The menu is written in both Mandarin and English, which creates a “safe space” for these students that doesn’t exist elsewhere on Marshall Street, she said. Lo added that Li often builds personal connections with Chinese international students who come by often.
Though there is a language barrier between Moreno and Li, Moreno said it’s never been an issue at work, describing Li as understanding and accommodating.
“He has a very welcoming attitude, and I feel like that kind of safety net is nice to have with your boss,” she said.
Mochi Mochi is known for their trademark mochi donut. The desert is made up of connected dough spheres and comes in a variety of sweet and savory flavors. Leo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor
Li got the idea for the mochi donut business on a trip to Florida with his wife in 2022. He was looking for new ways to expand his business, and came across a store selling a similar product. It inspired him to consider that Syracuse might need a mochi donut store too, but he didn’t feel like it was quite the right time to expand. Finally, when a vacant space opened up in Marshall Square Mall this year, Li took the opportunity.
Li is a seasoned business owner. After immigrating from China in 2001, he ran a laundromat in New York City before opening up Poke Fish in Syracuse. For many friends and family who are also Chinese immigrants, he said, going into the food industry is a logical choice.
“That’s their way of working all the way up,” Li said. “It’s hard to go and find an office job. It was a good choice because I could take care of my family and have my own business at the same time.”
Though entering a niche industry like mochi donuts can be hard, once he had all the necessary equipment, it was easier than Li had imagined, and he feels proud of his product choice. He said that many boba and milk tea stores are older businesses, and he enjoys bringing new innovations to the market.
Li isn’t fazed by operating two businesses at once, but the language barrier can be challenging. However, as he gained more experience with the difficulties of the career, the language barrier became less of an issue, he said.
Keeping a consistent customer base in Syracuse can be difficult. Because Mochi Mochi mostly serves students, their business flow drops over breaks. Li said that the weather affects business too — he has fewer customers when it’s cold.
During the winter months, Li only opened five days of the week instead of seven to offset the issue. As the weather gets warmer, the shop has been busier, Lo said.
Moreno thinks the SU community needed a little time to get accustomed to the new business on the street. Recently she’s seen customers from around the area, like nurses from Upstate University Hospital.
“The donuts just stand for themselves,” Moreno said. “They look cute, and then they taste good, so I feel like people are just naturally attracted to it.”
