MAY 10, 2021 www.sdbj.com 17

CELEBRATING ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER ENTREPRENEURS

he San Diego Business Journal continues to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in collaboration with the Asian Business Association San Diego (ABASD). We are sharing stories of Asian and Pacific Islander businesses in San Diego County. T Business owners will be celebrated on Thursday, May 20, when the San Diego Business Journal and the ABASD host the 2021 Asian/Pacific Islander Businesses of the Year Awards. The ceremony will in- clude a virtual panel discussion on Access to Capital for Asian and Pacific Islander Small Businesses. Pan- elists will include : Javier Iglesias, Sr. Vice President & Business Banking Market Leader of US Bank; Deep Lam, Sr. Vice President, Treasury Management Consultant of Wells Fargo; and Rob Disotell, Chief Lending Officer of California Coast Credit Union. Award categories featured at the virtual event are: Community Leadership, Philanthropic Leadership, Non- profit Partner of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Business of the Year, Corporate Partner of the Year, Bridge Builder of the Year, and ABASD Volunteer of the Year. We also want to also thank our sponsors: Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, California Coast Credit Union, AT&T, Proven Recruiting, Cox Communications, Sharp Health Plan, and Union Bank. As we celebrate this month, we hope you enjoy this second week of inspirational stories and look forward to the awards program on May 20.. To register, go to sdbj.com/bizevents.

Barb Chodos Jason Paguio President and Publisher President and CEO San Diego Business Journal Asian Business Association San Diego

Joseph Wong Design Associates ...... P.20 R3fresh Superfood Cafe & Juice Bar ...... P.20 Proven Recruiting ...... P.22 JCL Investment ...... P.22 Tofu House ...... P.24 Boba Bar & Desserts ...... P.24

PRESENTING SPONSORS 18 www.sdbj.com MAY 10, 2021

Free Virtual Event Thursday May 20, 2021 2pm - 3:30 pm

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, The San Diego Business Journal and Asian Business Association San Diego is proud to present Asian Pacific Islander Businesses of the Year Awards and a panel discussion on Access to Capital for Asian and Pacific Islander Small Businesses in the San Diego region.

[email protected]/bizevents

This event brought to you by our sponsors MAY 10, 2021 www.sdbj.com 19

Panel discussion on Access to Capital for Asian and Pacific Islander Small Businesses in San Diego

MODERATOR

Jason Paguio Jason Paguio is President and CEO of Asian Business President & CEO Association San Diego and the Strategic Partnerships Director Asian Business Association San Diego for the CalAsian Chamber of Commerce. Jason's civic commitments include serving on the City of San Diego Small Business Advisory Board, Board of Directors of the NTC Foundation (Arts District Liberty Station), LEAD San Diego, the San Diego Community Housing Corporation, and an appointment to San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria's Asian-Pacific Islander Advisory Group.

PANELISTS

Javier Iglesias Javier Iglesias is a Senior Vice President, and the Business Banking Senior Vice President Market Leader for the San Diego market. He has been with U.S. Business Banking Market Leader Bank since 2012, and his banking career began during college in 1993. Javier is responsible for leading the Business Banking teams U.S. Bank and executing an effective strategy to acquire, service and deepen business banking relationships in the market. Prior to his arrival at U.S. Bank, Javier worked for two other large commercial banks in the San Diego Market in a variety of production and leadership roles in the Business Banking segment.

Deep Lam Deep Lam is currently a Senior Treasury Management Senior Vice President Consultant with Wells Fargo Bank in San Diego. Treasury Management Consultant She has been with the bank for 12 years and in her current position since 2017. She consults with clients on leveraging Wells Fargo Bank technology for business operations. Prior to her current role, Deep was a Business Development Consultant for over 9 years serving the San Diego North County Market.

Rob Disotell Rob Disotell is Chief Lending Officer at California Coast Credit Chief Lending Officer Union, which was founded in 1929 and is the longest serving California Coast Credit Union financial institution in San Diego with $3 billion in assets and over 200,000 members. Rob brings over four decades of experience in financial services, including over 30 years with a state chartered community commercial bank in the Seattle/Puget Sound region, the last 12 years as Chief Credit Officer. His primary focus has been on Commercial Real Estate (CRE) and Commercial and Industrial (C&I) asset based lending to small businesses. He has been responsible for all areas of lending, portfolio risk management practices, and lending policies and procedures. 20 Celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Entrepreneurs MAY 10, 2021

Local Architect Says He is Living the American Dream ARCHITECTURE: International Firm Known for Striking and Prominent Buildings

„ By RAY HUARD place where I was born,” Wong said. Among the projects that Wong listed as While in high school, Joseph Wong his most notable were St. Teresa of Calcut- helped out in his parents’ restaurant with ta that will provide housing for the homeless little idea of what he wanted to do with and the Encinitas Beach Resort that caters to his life. people at the opposite end of the econom- “I had a very good drafting teacher at ic spectrum. San Diego High School,” Wong said – Wong said the Encinitas Beach Resort is William Clifford. among his favorite projects partly because it “He asked me, ‘Joseph, are you plan- was so long in reaching fruition. ning to attend college? “We had worked on this project 20 years “I said, ‘yeah, I will.’ He suggested, ago. Twenty years later, we got it built. It’s ‘What about being an architect?’ It was just a beautiful site. We’re excited to see the like a light bulb. I went to the library and project completed,” Wong said. looked it up, what is architecture and Wong said St. Teresa’s and other projects what is an architect? That was the turn- Rendering courtesy of Joseph Wong Design Associates he’s done for Father Joe’s Villages “really Among the latest projects by Joseph Wong Design Associates is St. Teresa of Calcutta apartment ing point,” Wong said. “I am very grate- tower for Father Joe’s Villages. humbled me.” ful for his teaching and encouragement.” “Those kind of social projects, they really Wong went on to earn a bachelor’s and Coming to America “I started pretty early. We were create a better and healthier community for master’s degree in architecture from the Wong said he came to the doing residential housing. That’s the present and also for future generations,” University of California Berkeley and a United States in 1967 with his always my interest,” Wong said. Wong said. “We have a responsibility to cre- master’s degree in landscape architecture parents and his two younger sis- “As a team, we really like to see ate beauty that inspires social conscience and from Harvard University. ters. how we contribute our efforts engages the community and strengthens our His firm, Joseph Wong Design Associates, “The week we arrived, I re- finding projects that will improve environment.” n is internationally known for its work and member we all started working the urban environment and make has designed some of the most striking and at a Chinese restaurant,” Wong a better place for people.” prominent buildings in San Diego County. said. Joseph Wong Design Associates They include Alexan Little Italy, St. Te- His family came from Tianjin, Creating Beauty (JWDA) resa of Calcutta – the affordable apart- the fourth largest city in China Joseph Wong Wong said he broke into the ment tower under construction in East where Wong was born. His par- Founder and international market in the 1990s FOUNDED: 1977 Village by Father Joe’s Villages – Palisade ents fled to Hong Kong with a President when he won a competition to FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT: Joseph O. Wong at UTC, Broadway Block in East Village, goal of moving to the U.S. His Joseph Wong Design design an Intercontinental Hotel HEADQUARTERS: Bankers Hill Associates Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel, and grandfather, who lived in Chi- in Shanghai, China – a competi- BUSINESS: Architect and design firm Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas. cago, sponsored the family’s move to this tion he didn’t expect to win. EMPLOYEES: 36 “I call it the American dream, it real- country. Working in China had long been an am- NOTABLE: The firm has received more than 200 ly is,” Wong said. “Our focus has always Ten years later, Wong opened his architec- bition of his. local and national awards. been how can we design and build a bet- tural practice and worked on small down- “Even when I attended my graduate school WEBSITE: www.jwdainc.com ter city and how can we design and build town projects at a time when downtown San and had my practice, I never would have CONTACT: 619 233 6777 better housing.” Diego was a place to avoid at night. thought that I would design a project in the R3fresh Finds its Niche on Convoy Street RESTAURANTS: Owner-operator Joe Kao Chooses Juice Over Boba

„ By BRAD GRAVES improvements, since another family busi- ness is renovating and reselling houses. In Joe Kao was getting things done starting Joe Kao’s space on Convoy, white tile went his business, a café on Convoy Street in Ke- up over the bright purple wall. arny Mesa, when he ran into a snag. The entrepreneur, now 26, needed some- COVID and Beyond one to guarantee the lease on his new space When COVID hit, Kao made the decision — a former cell phone store with a brilliant to stay open, and offer take-out only. It was the purple wall. So he right move, he said. Revenue declined but it called his mother, was better than outright closure. Now, he said, who at the time was he is considering outdoor seating for the store. in Taiwan. The business gets its share of regulars from He remembers his the surrounding auto dealers and corporate mother’s voice over offices on Kearny Mesa. the phone: “You’re Looking beyond COVID, Kao is thinking doing what?” about expanding R3fresh some more. He said It all ended well. he wants to avoid trendier areas such as down- Kao laid out his town and North Park, and is looking north, Photo courtesy of R3fresh Superfood Café & Juice Bar business plan for considering small commercial spaces in com- Sunshine is a mixture of carrot, apple and orange juices with turmeric. It’s one of several juices Joe Kao his mother, and she produced and sold by R3fresh in Kearny Mesa. munities such as Mira Mesa, Del Mar, Carls- ended up putting Owner-Operator bad and San Clemente. n R3fresh Superfood her name on the Café & Juice Bar option of adding granola (made in-house) served with edible beads. Seeing what he con- lease. She also put and fresh fruit. sidered “way too many” boba shops in the in some money to get the business up and district already, he dismissed the idea and piv- R3fresh Superfood running, and became Kao’s business partner. A Passion for Food oted to offering juices and açai. Café & Juice Bar Today R3fresh Superfood Café & Juice Bar Joe Kao is from Orange County. He “I’ve been juicing my whole life,” he said, is embarking on its fifth year in business. Kao moved to San Diego for work nine years recounting how he grew up in a household FOUNDED: 2016 said the business has roughly one half million ago. While working at businesses such as re- where making juice and concocting juice rec- OWNER-OPERATOR: Joe Kao dollars in yearly revenue. tailer Sur la Table, he helped friends get their ipes was an everyday occurrence. And there ADDRESS: 4821 Convoy St. The venue makes juices, each with a variety businesses going. were no other juice shops on Convoy. BUSINESS: Cafe of fruits and vegetables. It offers açai sorbet He entertained thoughts of opening his He said R3fresh is one of the healthier op- EMPLOYEES: 4 imported from Brazil. Açai is the berry of a own business. “Food and beverage is where tions on Convoy, where the typical restaurant WEBSITE: www.r3fresh.com certain palm tree. my passions lie,” he said. emphasizes bold flavors and comfort food. NOTABLE: Kao sits on the board of Blindspot The business also lets customers build He had his eye on the bustling Convoy R3fresh now has a second store, in Ful- Collective, a local theater group their own superfood bowls. It offers pita- Street food corridor, and for a while con- lerton, operated by Kao’s brother, Ben Kao. CONTACT: (858) 384-6111 ya, coconut and chia puddings with the sidered a boba shop — a shop offering tea The Kaos do many of their own tenant MAY 10, 2021 www.sdbj.com 21

Nominate your IT Leader for San Diego’s most prestigious technology award.

The Top Tech Awards honor the best of the best among technology leaders in the San Diego Region. If you think I.T. leader deserves recognition, nominate them today.

www.TopTechAwards.com

TOP TECH AWARDS 2021 Sept. 16 4-5pm 22 Celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Entrepreneurs MAY 10, 2021

Proven Recruiting Helps Cos. Find Needed Talent SERVICES: Firm Aims to Grow Business to $50 Million

„ By FRED GRIER Leadership Prior to Proven Recruiting, Song started In 2007, Louis Song and Ingram Losner his career at Kforce, one of the largest pro- started Proven Recruiting as the answer to fessional staffing companies in the world. He a growing concern — the fact that most re- spent more than 10 years leading an office cruiting firms were grueling places to work. that generated more than $40 million in rev- The duo believed that building an employ- enue and managed over 70 staffers. ee-centric company with a strong sense of Song ‘s roles prior purpose was the key to providing a truly dif- to recruiting include ferentiated experience. being a waiter, ca- Over the last decade, the staffing firm has shier, hotel maid, grown from a team of seven to over 150 staff- party planner, admin ers across the U.S with offices in San Diego, assistant, and sys- Dallas, Austin, and L.A. The company’s mis- tems analyst for the sion is to connect talented people with mean- White House Com- ingful careers. munications Agency. “We became one of the fastest growing Losner’s staffing staffing firms in the country,” said Louis Photo Courtesy of Proven Recruiting. industry experience Ingram Losner Song, CEO and co-founder of Proven Re- Over the last decade, Proven Recruiting has grown from a seven person team to a 150-person spans 32 years. He CFO and Co-founder cruiting. “At one point we had nine offices organization. ran his own recruit- Proven Recruiting but the biggest problem was be- ing business in Lon- ing able to manage at scale. We revenues come from San Di- Best Places to Work don between 1988 and 1996. Ingram was a consolidated and learned how ego County. Annual revenues The company has been named one of group president for Kforce. He is active in the to be better managers and lead- exceed $18 million, said Song. San Diego’s best places to work five con- community and is involved with several local ers. Which allowed us to build a “San Diego will continue to secutive years in a row. Although many charities and non-profit groups. n foundation without jeopardizing be one of the bright spots for of its events are held virtually due to the and scaling the business too fast.” drug discovery, pharmaceuti- pandemic, Song said his team continues cals, and the medical device to invest in the human aspect of the busi- Proven Recruiting Aiming for $50 million sector,” said Song. “We’ve got ness, adding that it holds weekly of virtual The recruiting firm provides operations in Dallas and Aus- team get-togethers as well as a book club. FOUNDED: 2007 consulting and contingent staff- tin. Over the next three years, “We host a book club, three days a CEO: Louis Song ing solutions. It focuses on in- we see our company growing week, every single week,” said Song. Louis Song BUSINESS: Business recruiting firm dustries including life sciences, CEO and Co-founder from our current close to $20 “During the pandemic, we started our Un- HEADQUARTERS: Sorrento Valley technology, finance, accounting Proven Recruiting million to $50 million, as well plugged series. Where we highlight one and operations. Services range as continuing growth out of person every other week and the entire EMPLOYEES: 150 from direct-hire, contract-to-hire, and con- our Los Angeles office.” company sit down and has the opportu- WEBSITE: www.provenrecruiting.com tract basis. Song attributes this success to the nity ask them about their lives, their up- NOTABLE: Co. has offices in San Diego, Dallas, Austin, and LA. Taking advantage of the strong life sci- company’s ‘people first’ approach and bringing, their religion, and all the stuff ence scene in the region, roughly 80% of award-winning culture. that is sort of taboo.” CONTACT: [email protected] Restaurant Operator Follows in Parents’ Footsteps DINING: Cris Liang Owns Three Eateries in Kearny Mesa

„ By MARIEL CONCEPCION specializes in traditional Korean bone broth, said Liang. The gastronomic approach was When Cris Liang graduated from UCSD made in order to differentiate Woomiok from with a BS degree in structural engineering in other Asian food Recognizing the early 2000s, he never imagined he’d fol- places in town, he low in his parents' footsteps and own his own said, and to intro- restaurant years later. Chinese immigrants that duce something new settled in Mexico before relocating to San Di- and authentic to the ego, his mother and father owned their own local culinary scene. extraordinary efforts food place, Palacio Royal, in Tijuana for nearly For Lee, it is 30 years before retiring almost 10 years ago. precisely this idea In 2014 after sev- of thinking out- en years working for side the box that a local geotechnical has made all three Achieving great things in any community takes courage, vision, and engineering firm, Li- of his and Liang’s Joon Lee Co-Owner tremendous effort. What each of us does can make life better for everyone. ang, along with busi- offerings success- JCL Investment ness partner Joon ful. Lee, opened Com- Photo Courtesy of JCL Investment “I think setting higher standards for mon Theory Public Opened in 2014, Common Theory is the first offering from Cris Liang and business partner food quality, consistency and cleanliness We proudly celebrate the great achievements of all the Asian Pacific Islander House, located on Joon Lee under the JCL Investment umbrella. Pre-COVID, the company made $3M in revenue. is important,” he said. “The actual out- Convoy Street. In come will always hover around lower than Business Award nominees. 2018, he simultane- His Own Growing Family everything myself by working at restaurants, the standards held by us. n ously launched Realm Cris Liang Much like his parents, the drive to delve too, so I knew most of the positions well.” of the 52 Remedies, a Co-Owner into the food service industry was his own With family loans and after dabbling with speakeasy located JCL Investment growing family, said Liang. a few different concept ideas, Liang and Joon JCL Investment right next door to Common, and Woomiok, an “I remember, I was about 30 years old, I had opened the 5,700 square foot Common The- authentic Korean bone broth place also in Ke- one baby then and felt like I was put against ory, a brewhouse inspired by the local craft FOUNDED: 2014 arny Mesa, the Asian food hub of San Diego. the ropes. I thought, ‘if I don’t do this now, beer scene. When the 2,700 square foot Thai OWNERS: Cris Liang, Joon Lee In 2019, pre-COVID-19, Liang had grown take this shot, I might regret it for the rest of restaurant next door closed, Liang immedi- HEADQUARTERS: Kearny Mesa the revenue of his collective businesses, under my life and might be too old to do any sort ately took over the lease and turned it into an BUSINESS: Restaurant group parent companies JCL Investment (Com- of comeback then," said Liang, now a father apothecary-styled venue, resembling a Chi- REVENUE: $3M pre-COVID mon Theory and Realm) and LNA Restau- of two. "Joon was running his own fast food nese herbal shop. EMPLOYEES: 35 rant Group (Woomiok), to roughly $3 million, restaurant then and I was comfortable with WEBSITE: www.commontheorysd.com wellsfargo.com he says. These days, the eateries are conduct- the idea of owning my own restaurant be- Think Outside the Box NOTABLE: Entrance to the speakeasy is only accessible via Common Theory. ing about 75% of pre-pandemic sales num- cause I grew up working in my parents’ place. Elsewhere, Woomiok is 2,800 square feet CONTACT: [email protected] bers, conservatively. Throughout high school and college, I paid for and is owned with two additional partners. It © 2020 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. 6991802 MOD: 1100 Recognizing extraordinary efforts

Achieving great things in any community takes courage, vision, and tremendous effort. What each of us does can make life better for everyone.

We proudly celebrate the great achievements of all the Asian Pacific Islander Business Award nominees.

wellsfargo.com

© 2020 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. 6991802 MOD: 1100 24 Celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Entrepreneurs MAY 10, 2021

Turning Tough Challenges into Success RESTAURANTS: Tofu House Grows During Pandemic and Plans to Franchise

„ By NATALLIE ROCHA of their food by serving about 600 to 1,000 people at their local Korean church. Joonsok Kim, said he couldn’t sleep at all the day it was announced that restaurants had to Growing the Business stop serving food indoors due to the corona- When he opened his first restaurant virus pandemic. The owner of Tofu House, a in 1998 at the age of 23, Kim said it was casual restaurant serving tofu soup and hot- well-received because people liked the stone Korean barbeque, said “it was a night- healthy tofu dishes. One of their most pop- mare for me.” ular dishes is the boiled tofu chef’s special, These days, many of the hot-pots are a soup with a variety of seafood, mush- served outdoors under white canopy tents rooms and kimchi served to customers in and lit up by strings of light bulbs in the park- a pot that reaches over 500 degrees Fahr- ing spots in front of Tofu House — a move enheit. that turned the nightmare into a spotlight One of Kim’s goals is to be the In-N-Out on his business. Burger of Korean cuisine. Inspired by In- “So, I was thinking overnight and I woke up N-Out’s business model, every year Kim is at 6:30 in the morning to go to Costco Busi- narrowing down the Tofu House menu un- ness Center and pick up the chairs and tents,” Photo Courtesy of Tofu House til it reaches nine, stand-out dishes. Kim said. “When I set it up, the tent first in Tofu House’s Convoy location offers food for dine-in and take out with an expansive outdoor He added that this July, Tofu House will Convoy Street, I was thinking for myself, ‘Oh dining setup. open its third location and first franchise my god, am I crazy in this hot day a minute away from the SDSU campus in July? or what am I doing right Not Giving Up In three years, he had enough money with the hopes of introducing his Korean now? Am I stupid? No one starts Originally from Seoul, Ko- to start his business and with the help of food worldwide. n to tent, why only me?’” rea Kim came to San Diego at three friends from South Korea who knew Kim was one of the first restau- the age of 17 and stayed with how to cook and needed work they start- rants to implement a pandemic, his aunt and uncle in El Cajon. ed experimenting with recipes from his Tofu House outdoor dining model and the fast He attended Grossmont Col- one bedroom, one bathroom apartment setup worked in his favor. Former lege and transferred to San Di- in La Mesa. Mayor Kevin Faulconer applaud- ego State University where he “We were using the bathroom for wash- FOUNDED: 1998 ed Tofu House as a model for oth- studied business management. ing all the vegetables and, you know, mak- OWNER: Joonsok Kim er restaurants. As a kid, Kim knew he ing our kimchi and a lot of a recipe, we LOCATIONS: Kearny Mesa, Mira Mesa Like many other restaurants wanted to own his own busi- need a bigger kitchen to exercise but we BUSINESS: Restaurant serving healthy tofu soup Joonsok Kim dishes and authentic Korean cuisine. making it through the pandem- Owner & CEO ness and after earning his de- didn’t have enough space so we were using ic, Tofu House had a reduction in Tofu House gree, he worked three jobs to one of the bedrooms in my apartment,” EMPLOYEES: 26 pre-COVID, 12 today staff, however, last April Kim expe- save money and make that a re- Kim said. WEBSITE: www.ustofuhouse.com rienced a 10 percent increase in business from ality. He recalled working from 5 a.m. to He said they cleaned the bathtub very NOTABLE: Tofu House was recognized by former Mayor Kevin Faulconer for their model of outdoor 2019, which he attributes to customers liking 3 a.m. delivering for a dry-cleaning busi- well where they made large jars of kimchi, dining during the pandemic. Tofu House and wanting to “come back as ness, vacuuming at a car wash and clean- and chuckled at the memory. Before Kim CONTACT: [email protected] soon as they can.” ing at a hotel kitchen. opened his restaurant, he tested the flavors Boba Bar and Desserts Serves Internationally Influenced Treats FOOD: Tiffany Tran Turned Her Love of Bubble Tea into a Business

„ By NATALLIE ROCHA own brown sugar for the popular Brown Sugar Milk tea, which is something she Behind each sweet treat served at Boba Bar said not a lot of shops can say they do. and Desserts is inspiration from shop owner, One example of Tran making a spin on Tiffany Tran’s travels throughout Asia. Be- an Asian dessert is Boba Bar’s puffles — fore opening her first Boba Bar inside Zion an Instagram-worthy treat with inspiration Market, Tran said she didn’t have any boba from Chinese waffles. The soft waffles al- experience, but she always loved boba. most look like giant bubble wrap around Boba, or bubble tea, are little pearls made soft serve custard and a sprinkling of col- of tapioca and cooked up to go in any of orful toppings. the drinks such as milk teas and smoothies “We try to make it look really pretty, served at the store- Photo Courtesy of Tiffany Tran except now that it’s COVID, everything front nestled in the Boba Bar and Desserts serves puffles — soft serve custard wrapped in a soft bubble waffle is a to-go order, so it’s not as pretty, but back corner of a and decorated with toppings. it’s still good to-go in a cup — we still try strip-mall on Con- to make it look pretty and then decorate voy Street. Through it all, Tran said people have been “We just happened to open the boba shop it,” Tran said. “You know how some plac- “We cook it up grateful that their shop has been open and right after I graduated because I hadn’t ap- es, the food looks really good, but then it for our shop and we some of their customers have been coming plied to any like pharmacy or optometry doesn’t taste that good. We try to make it cook the boba like consistently for the past five years. She runs school yet, that is what I was planning to look good and taste good.” n every two hours to the Convoy location, while her husband do, but I decided to not do it and then try have it fresh,” Tran mainly runs the National City shop and her out the boba business and then I really liked said. “We coat it in dad operates the original location at Zion it,” Tran said. Boba Bar and honey and brown Tiffany Tran Market. It was her dad’s idea to start the first one Desserts sugar, to make it a Owner inside of Zion Market and since then they Boba Bar and FOUNDED: 2016 little bit sweet. And Desserts Family Business have grown the business to approximately I would describe it Tran spent part of her childhood in 30 employees across three locations. OWNER: Tiffany Tran kind of like a gummy bear texture. So, it’s Hong Kong and Taiwan, and then from LOCATIONS: Kearny Mesa, National City chewy and it goes on the bottom of your the age of 9 grew up in San Diego. She Fresh Ingredients BUSINESS: Boba Bar and Desserts serves up bubble teas, acai bowls and soft serve treats with a soft drink.” continued to spend her summers in Viet- One of the things that makes Boba Bar waffle cone called “puffles.” Tran said they import their boba from Tai- nam, where her dad owned restaurants and stand out among other bubble tea shops, EMPLOYEES: About 30 employees wan and as of recent, there has been a na- as a kid, she fantasized about opening her is the commitment to fresh ingredients for INSTAGRAM: @bobabarsd tional boba shortage which has also impacted own café. authentic flavors, said Tran. For instance, NOTABLE: Boba Bar imports their boba from Taiwan her shop’s suppliers. Despite this supply chain She earned her degree in Behavioral every day, her dad cuts about 80 percent and cooks their own brown sugar in house for their challenge and not being able to travel for the Neuroscience from the University of San of the fruit by hand. Brown Sugar Milk Tea. past year, Tran said the shop has stayed open Diego, and after graduation, Tran opened In addition to the boba they import CONTACT: [email protected] during the pandemic to serve its customers. Boba Bar at the age of 21. from Taiwan, Tran said they cook their MAY 10, 2021 www.sdbj.com 25

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