The Only Way Out is Through

We are trying to stay positive despite a challenging May and a very uncertain June

We recently moved from May into June, marking the end of AAPI heritage month. What a month it was for me and the business. I remarked in a previous newsletter that it’s amazing how far we have come in acknowledging Asian Americans and their cultures and experiences. But even so, I frequently realize we still have a long way to go.

I have felt a lot of lows since opening the business, but May had the most. I hate that elementary school me was ridiculed for my weird, “smelly” lunches, and now at 31, I’m dealing with complaints that the same food is creating “toxic” smells. I’m older and a bit less impressionable, but the words “your bakery doesn’t even smell like a bakery, all it smells like is garlic and cabbage” still hurt. Even if my shop did only smell of garlic and cabbage (it does not), would that be the worst thing? Because the smell of savory foods are my favorite smells. They immediately transport me back to my family’s kitchen, a dining table filled with my mom’s and Ama’s cooking served family style. The smells remind me of their love, because Asian families express their love through food before anything else. So my bakery smells should be taken as a compliment, yeah? There’s a whole lot of love in the air!

I kid.

In all seriousness, I’m trying to unapologetically forge on, but I would be lying if I said that I am not keenly aware of every slight smell that could be taken as “offensive.” I know I shouldn’t feel self conscious, but I’m human and a huge people pleaser, so I’m often left feeling stressed out and discouraged. And now with the storefront being shut down with no end date in sight, I try not to think about the reality that it could be months until customers can come into our shop again.

I don’t want to linger on the negatives though, especially because we have been utterly enveloped by the support of our community during this time. It has been overwhelming (in the best way) to experience the amount of concern, care, and generosity of our lovely supporters. I was not expecting my previous newsletter announcement of us temporarily closing the storefront to garner such a response. I thought it was just a way to notify people about what was going on, but it quickly turned into hundreds of encouraging messages, emails to City Council and other organizations, pro bono service offers, and even helpful connections across the country. It is with a deep, deep feeling of gratitude that I say thank you to those who have rallied for us during this time. Every preorder and e-gift card purchase is not taken for granted as we navigate staying afloat. Every affirming word and conversation is appreciated more than you know.

Starting Saturday morning with a whole counter of preorder tickets. We are so thankful!

I also couldn’t be more proud of my team. Most of them have been directly impacted by the complaints and now the closure, but have continued to work so hard each day. We had to pivot to preorders only with less than 48 hours notice and they took it in stride. They’ve been adaptable and flexible and I can’t imagine getting through this without them. I decided that we needed a celebratory dinner and bonfire “just because,” to lift our spirits and focus on the good things. I know we will be able to get through this together, especially with the continued support of our neighbors and friends.

A beautiful evening for a bonfire with the team and some plus ones.

We’re unsure what the month of June will look like since so much is up in the air. However, we’re planning to do some pop ups and other fun things while the storefront is closed. I’ll announce the events as they get on the calendar.

Murray Ave Pop Up

We are popping up at Murray Ave (the intersection of Murray Ave and Liberty St) this Tuesday (June 4th) from 5-7:30pm or sold out with the Tacos El Mariachi Loco food truck. I’ll be bringing strawberry lychee mochi bites, chili crisp scones, mango chiffon cake rolls, and debuting our new “trash cookies” which are filled with oats, panko, morinaga caramels, chocolate chips, potato chips, and pretzels. They are truly delicious, well balanced, and full of texture.

Dragon Boat Festival Zongzi (粽子) Preorders

June 10th is Dragon Boat Festival (端午節, duan wu jie). I’m going to send out a whole newsletter about this Chinese holiday next week, along with the special significance that zongzi have in my family. We will be selling handmade zongzi made by my Ama (grandma), mom, and myself next weekend via the preorder website. Ordering will go live when that newsletter drops so keep an eye out!

Want To See Us Pop Up Somewhere?

Let us know! We are all ears for ideas to keep us going right now. And thank you all so much again for your support—it means the world.