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"I learned that San Diego will get its first taste of The Alley on Tuesday, August 1 when the Taiwanese chain officially lands in Clairemont; the new store opens at noon all week with a grand opening event on Saturday, August 5 that kicks off with a lion dancing performance at 10 a.m. The Alley, founded in 2015 and now with over 400 locations worldwide, is known for making its boba from scratch and dubbing it “deerioca” after its deer logo—these pearls are slow-cooked in brown sugar syrup and feature prominently in the Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk, which is offered in matcha, cocoa, and ube variations. Other menu highlights include teas topped with cheese foam, milk teas, fresh fruit smoothies, and croffles (croissant‑waffle hybrids) topped with classic, chocolate, or matcha crème brûlée. The Clairemont franchise is co-owned by Jimmy Nguyen, Lam Nguyen, Phuc Vo, and David Nguyen." - Candice Woo