Haley Doan used to run Greatea Bubble Tea House in Anaheim, a neighborhood boba spot with pandan-green walls that served classics like fresh teas, milk teas, and popcorn chicken. The shop sat in the corner of a strip mall on Euclid Street and has been family-operated since May of 2021.
“I actually dropped my other job,” Doan tells L.A. TACO. “I was a medical assistant, so then I went for my dream.”
The shop was beloved for its red bean and Nutella fish-shaped taiyaki, fruity drinks, and small-business charm. The vibe was like your favorite boba shop, especially the ones established in the 2010s in the San Gabriel Valley. Greatea was also a rollerblading rink, dance floor, and TikTok filming studio—at least it was for Jasmine Nguyen, Haley’s daughter.
Jasmine was only four years old when Greatea opened, and she “grew up there,” according to Doan.
Eight-year-old Jasmine died due to a firework accident on July 4, 2025, while attending a celebration in Buena Park. The Greatea brick-and-mortar closed down less than a month later.
“[After] her passing, I had to close because there are so many memories in Greatea of her,” Doan says. “I couldn't just keep on going . . . I closed Greatea on July 26 of 2025, and then grieving took a whole year. I had no motivation of doing anything.”
“[After] her passing, I had to close because there are so many memories in Greatea of her,” Doan says. “I couldn't just keep on going, so I closed that before her birthday, which is July 27 . . . I closed Greatea on July 26 of 2025, and then grieving took a whole year. I had no motivation of doing anything.”
Doan adds that during the year after Jasmine’s passing, she grieved at home, “doing nothing.” She says that Jasmine had a phone which she used to record videos of herself, memories which Doan continues to rewatch.
In photos posted online, Jasmine’s smile shines between her two dimples. In a video compilation posted by her dance group, it’s clear that she is a talented dancer and the type of kid who likes to make everybody laugh. Her radiant joy has undoubtedly touched community members throughout Orange County.
The teachers and parents at Stoddard Elementary, where Jasmine was a student, supported Doan and her family following Jasmine’s death.
Before closing Greatea’s doors, the shop held a celebration of life for Jasmine with supporters visiting from across the county. According to Mayor Pro Tem Carlos A. Leon’s Instagram, over 300 community members attended to honor Jasmine. Children and adults wrote and hung messages to Jasmine on butterfly-shaped paper cutouts, adorning the wall with a kaleidoscope of sentiments.
Through online fundraising, Doan was able to develop a new, smaller venture: Sassy Boba Greatea.
“Because of the help of the community, I actually used whatever they inputted [in the GoFundMe] to create Sassy Boba, so I can actually bring Jasmine's memories with me, and it makes me, you know, motivates me [to] move forward,” Doan says.
Doan parks Sassy Boba’s bold, jasmine-purple boba truck at Sigler Park in Westminster almost every day, before serving a steady stream of parkgoing families. Her youngest daughter, Jasmine’s little sister, is able to play with her grandma while Haley operates the truck.
“The only thing I wish is [to] just make enough so I can take care of my little one . . . I just need a decent amount of money that I can survive [on]. That’s it,” Doan says.
Whereas Greatea was located in Anaheim, Doan parks Sassy Boba in Westminster, as the city regulations are more street vendor-friendly. When Sassy Boba isn’t set up at the park, Doan is catering weddings and birthdays, supplying her drinks to family celebrations.
The truck sells milk teas (classic favorites like you’d find at your local boba shop, such as ube, Thai tea, and oolong), fruit-flavored teas, and smoothies. They also sell taiyakis with creamy fillings, plus waffle-encased hot dogs, and ice cream, keeping parkgoers refreshed and fed.
L.A. TACO got the iced lychee green tea and chose matcha crema to top it off, a refreshing pick for these warm SoCal summer days. You can customize the sweetness level, so we went for 50% sugar to really let the flavors shine. The matcha crema is fluffy and decadent; mixed into the tea, the drink gains a creamy texture that isn’t as heavy as a milk tea. The bits of lychee are tiny pockets of sweet, floral flavor.
Jasmine’s top three drinks are also on the menu: Thai tea, cookies-and-cream, and, a testament to the elementary schooler’s mature palate, cappuccino smoothies.
From replayable memories to the Sassy Boba Greatea logo, which features a young girl in purple holding a drink, bubbly Jasmine remains part of her mother’s everyday life as Doan continues to serve up deliciously crafted boba to customers throughout the county.
“The only thing I wish is [to] just make enough so I can take care of my little one . . . I just need a decent amount of money that I can survive [on]. That’s it,” Doan says.
Sassy Boba ~ 12 to 5 p.m. every day at Sigler Park ~ 7200 Plaza St. Westminster, CA 92683; Check their Instagram for any changes to location/hours
