By Dave Warner
Little Falls, NY – After a whirlwind relocation from Herkimer, Toka Bocca is set to charm the Mohawk Valley with its fusion of global flavors and vibrant vibe.
The restaurant, helmed by co-owner Chip Sweet, her husband, and her brother Chef Lok, opens its doors for a soft launch this weekend at the beloved former Copper Moose Ale House on Main Street.
What began as a family-driven pivot amid personal challenges has evolved into a seasonal hotspot promising fresh, fun eats for locals and visitors alike.
Sweet, a Utica native whose family arrived as political refugees from Laos in 1980, shared the serendipitous story behind the move during an interview Thursday afternoon. Sponsored by Our Lady of Lourdes Church upon their arrival, Sweet’s roots run deep in the area, where she met her husband and business partner, Joe Sweet, and where her brother, Executive Chef Lok (known simply as “Chef L”), honed his skills before stints alongside celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse in Florida.
The trio launched Toka Bocca in mid-2022 as a passion project born of necessity. “My brother came home [from Florida] because his daughter became disabled—she had a brain injury at 25, and her husband left her,” Sweet explained. “He felt the need to be closer to her, and at that point, we created a restaurant only because I knew that he was the brains behind it and could do it. I had the marketing side of it.”
The Herkimer debut was an instant hit, drawing crowds for its “international street food” concept—think playful dishes blending Asian fusion with Italian influences from Chef L’s wheelhouse. But rising rents and an unreliable landlord forced a tough call not to renew their lease. “We just can’t afford this space anymore,” Sweet recalled the family deciding. “It’s just not working, and we couldn’t commit to another two years… The landlord wasn’t very responsible. We were responsible for all of the repairs.”
Fate intervened just two weeks later. Joe Sweet spotted a Facebook post for a turnkey restaurant lease in Little Falls—the very Copper Moose spot the couple had frequented and adored. “We have been here before, maybe like twice… We loved it,” Sweet said. “I’m like, ‘No way. What are they asking?’ And then he told me, I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s a lot less than what we were paying.’ And he said it’s turnkey… The landlord said he’ll fix anything wrong with the building or equipment.”
A quick site visit sealed the deal. “We made an appointment to come see it the next day. And it was like a no-brainer,” she added. “We can still service the Herkimer crowd—the only thing I was a little bit afraid of is that it’s 10 minutes away… But we do have a following, so I’m sure that they wouldn’t mind driving out for 10 minutes. Plus, we have DoorDash and Grubhub that can deliver.”
The transition has been smooth, with minimal tweaks needed beyond a deep clean and Toka Bocca’s signature flair. Sweet praised the warm welcome from the community, including landlords, Cathy, and Bill. “Everyone has been super friendly here… We just feel very welcomed. We really like the Main Street vibe. We love the scenery. We think it’s a gorgeous drive.”
Toka Bocca’s ethos? Scalable fun without sacrificing quality. “The way that we set up Toka Bocca is like, you can have a Toka Bocca anywhere,” Sweet said. “Our ultimate goal is to get into some sort of franchise model… We still want to retain our unique branding, our unique cuisine, our unique vibe. We don’t want to be stodgy. We want to be fun… Fun food, but good, fresh, delicious food.”
The debut menu spotlights crowd-pleasers like truffle fries, dumplings, spring rolls, bang bang shrimp, baby Brussels, and the cheekily named “cat cow.” Entrees include the signature Toka Bocca chicken in lemon champagne sauce, “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” shrimp with white wine, garlic, and cherry peppers, Pad Thai, Thai basil stir-fry, a New York strip with Asian twists, and fan-favorite pho bone broth soup.
Looking ahead, the team won’t miss next weekend’s Little Falls Cheese Festival, planning full operations Friday through possibly Sunday. Regular hours will roll out as Tuesday–Thursday, 4–9 p.m., Friday–Saturday noon–9 p.m. (potentially extending to 10 p.m. weekends to nurture a bar crowd).
A bar menu after 8 p.m. is in the works to keep the energy flowing.
For reservations or more, visit tokabocca.com (with the Little Falls location update incoming), follow @tokabocca on Facebook (11,000 followers strong), Instagram, and TikTok, or call the new line—315-508-5134.
As Toka Bocca plants its flag in Little Falls, Sweet sees endless potential in the seasonal charm that echoes her childhood camping trips to nearby Old Forge, where they expanded just months after Herkimer.
“We always dreamt of having some type of business in Old Forge… It just brings back childhood memories.”
For now, though, this Main Street gem is ready to stir up the Valley—one flavorful bite at a time.
