654 S. 9th St., Noblesville, IN 46060
Located inside the commercial kitchen of the VFW
What inspired you to start this business, and how does it reflect your cultural background or culinary passion?
We had our first mochi donut while living in California and fell in love with its unique chew and subtle sweetness. Being home bakers and foodies, we thought it would be a dream to open our own mochi donut shop. Tom, a graphic designer and excellent home chef, always had an entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to start something of his own. But, it wasn’t until years later when we moved to Indiana that we revisited the idea to open our own mochi donut shop to fill that craving we were missing. Rachel, having baked and decorated cakes as a hobby growing up reflects on those moments and loves that she can now make beautifully decorated mochi donuts for all to enjoy.
Why did you decide to open your business in Hamilton County?
We moved to Hamilton County in 2019, where Rachel is from, so we could be close to her family. Once we moved, Tom was ready for a new career and decided to follow his passion in the culinary world. After many ideas and test runs, Tom brought his dream to reality and opened Mochi Joy. We wanted to start small knowing we were the first mochi donut shop in all of Indiana. We decided to start in a commercial kitchen and it happened that the Noblesville VFW had space for Mochi Joy. It was a perfect place to start, not far from home and right in our own community. We are so glad we started in Hamilton County. We never expected the amazing support that we have received from the VFW members and community.
What have been some of your favorite moments in owning this establishment?
In the first 2 weeks, Tom couldn’t keep up with the demand. Guests would set their alarm clocks to pre-order online as quickly as possible. After 2 weeks he would sell out within 2 minutes online. His wife, Rachel, decided to leave her job as an Audiologist to come on to meet the large demands and help Mochi Joy grow.
Another favorite, and funny, moment was when Sherman Burdette from Fox59 came and interviewed Tom. Before Sherman arrived, Tom was taste-testing his glazes. Little did Tom know that there was a glob of Ube glaze on the side of his mouth during the entire interview! Sherman thought it was a mole and didn’t realize until afterward. Rachel, watching the interview from home as she finished out her last days of work, knew this moment reinforced that Tom needed her by his side!
What’s the can’t-miss item on your menu?
Its always hard to narrow down the best since we have 12 of our most popular flavors permanently on the menu. But, our top flavor has to be Lavender Lemon. We’ve been told it tastes like “yummy” or “a spa day” with its perfect blend of floral sweetness and bright lemon.
What makes your business different from others?
We’re a husband and wife team that left their careers to start our little shop. We don’t just run the shop to own a business or make lots of money. We are in it to bring joy to our customers and bring something unique to the area. We are passionate foodies and critical of quality and taste. Because of that, we strive to make the most delicious mochi donuts every day, be creative with the tastiest flavor combinations, and provide exceptional customer service. We want customers to feel joy through their whole experience.
What’s next for your business?
We are working towards opening our own brick-and-mortar location. With that, we hope to build our team to offer more items on the menu, expand our days and hours, and fulfill more events and catering orders.
How does community come together around food or drink? What does “Around the Table” mean to you?
Being the new dessert shop in the scene and popping up at our favorite places to eat and drink has given us so many connections in the community that want to help in any way they can. We have received so much support that we can’t help but give back. We feel so lucky to be in this supportive food community. “Around the Table” to us means we are all in this together and we need each other in order to stay relevant in the food scene. Without each other’s support, you’re just another place to eat or drink.
In what ways does your business contribute to the overall culinary scene in Hamilton County and promote diversity within the community?
We are proud to be both Asian and women-owned as a husband and wife team. Mochi donuts has origins in Japan which offer a unique Asian dessert to the community. We do pop-ups with businesses that have food and owners from many different cultures allowing us to bring awareness to their businesses and feature the flavors of their culture. We are inspired by different cultures to include flavors like mango tajin, baklava, pistachio rose, pandan, and guava.
