Ethan Ly is only 21 years old, but he's been starting businesses for a few years now — and the entrepreneur has no plans to slow down any time soon.
His latest venture is , a mobile mochi donut shop that sells the kind of treats that are both delicious and photo-ready. Mochi, a traditional Japanese rice cake with a light, chewy texture and subtle flavor, is often used to make sweet confections like Daifuku, which is mochi stuffed with a sweet red bean paste.
Mochi ice cream has also been popular in recent years as a fusion dessert, with rolled balls of ice cream wrapped in flavored rice dough. Now, Ly has added his own mark to the fusion dessert genre with mochi donuts — and they've already made a splash at Lafayette events like ArtWalk, where Ly sells the donuts in flavors like cookies and cream, chocolate, fruity pebbles and green tea.
"Mochi donuts combines that chewy texture of mochi, and the airiness of a donut," Ly said. "It makes a chewy, fluffy donut."
A fruity pebble-flavored mochi donut from Domochi in Lafayette, LA.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Domochi does pack a bit of a chew, which makes this treat an exciting departure from regular donuts. The icing on top adds sweetness, while the donut itself has a pleasing, consistent texture that keeps you going back for one more bite.
"I discovered mochi donuts about five years ago when I went to Seattle," said Ly. "It was really pretty, and I took my first bite — it was similar to a normal donut, but chewier, and has a distinct taste to it. So I saw a market opportunity here in Lafayette, because we don't have them here, and Lafayette is pretty open to new concepts."
He started Domochi last year, after closing down his first venture — a social brand called Rice Dynasty, that started as a class presidential campaign when Ly was a senior at New Iberia Senior High School. After discovering a passion for entrepreneurship, Ly entered the University of h at Lafayette as a business major, before deciding to drop out in his junior year and go all in on business.
Ethan Ly, founder of a mochi donut business called Domochi, talks about the concept Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at Black Cat Cafe in Lafayette, La. Staff photo by Leslie Westbrook
STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK
Ly said, "As people, we tend to overcomplicate things. So I figured, I already have the business plan built out — let's just do it."
Creating a food business from scratch creates challenges, from permitting to sourcing equipment. In Domochi's first year, Ly has already moved from a commissary kitchen to his own food truck, making his brand more visible at Lafayette events like Festival International, where Domochi was a vendor.
He has even bigger things planned. Ly said that he hopes to get the business into a brick-and-mortar, maybe by next year. Beyond that, the business doesn't see a limit for the potential of the mochi donut.
A cookies and cream-flavored mochi donut from Domochi in Lafayette, LA.
PROVIDED PHOTO
"I want Domochi to become a franchise," he said. "My core values are to inspire and connect, because I think community and connection with one another is such an important thing. I've gotten so much support from other small business owners and community members who aren't in business, but just have connections or resources. We can't do this alone. That's the direction I want to push — to somehow connect with the community, give back, and grow together."
Try Domochi at local events like ArtWalk, or check the to see where to catch the food truck in the Lafayette area.