Today we’d like to introduce you to Dao Au.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Hi everyone, my name is Dao Au. My husband and I are the founders and owners of KOI CHA – Tapioca Drinks & Snacks in Houston. I was born in Vietnam and came to the US in 2008 through a scholarship as an exchange student for my junior year in high school. I spent my first year in the US with a wonderful host family in a small town in Alabama. It is definitely one of the most enriching experiences in my life. When the program ended, I decided to continue my education in Houston, where I stayed with my uncle and his family, who can look after me. During my college life, I also worked part-time at a bubble tea shop where my love for bubble tea started to grow up in me, little by little. This is also where I met my husband. I graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. I was a tax accountant at the largest independent CPA firm in Houston for four years. Lots of my clients are small and big business owners in various industries. I noticed that I always get excited when discussing the operation of a business, the revenue, the expenses, and the figure with the clients. There is a voice in my head that says, “Me too! I want to be a business owner”. That is when I started to take my love for bubble tea seriously.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, it has not been a smooth road. When it comes to business, there is this statement “It takes money to make money.” I have to say raising capital is one of the struggles that we were facing at the beginning since we didn’t have enough business history to borrow money from a financial institution. Luckily, my husband has a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the University of Texas in Austin and with the help from our family and friends, we were able to raise just enough money to start up the business. Although, my experiences working at a bubble tea shop has helped me a little; building a brand, building a store, building customers, building everything from scratch are way beyond my experiences. There are so many things that I did not know. It took me a little over one year to brainstorm and develop my business plan, find a location, build the store, set up the company, and decide on the store name as well as the menu items and pricing.
KOI CHA – Tapioca Drinks & Snacks has been opened for about seven months now. Our sales were great at the beginning until the corona-virus outbreak happened. It was a shock for us and of courses for everyone. In order to adapt to the social distancing practice, I have to quickly find a way to start online ordering and delivery service, which I never thought of in my business plan. Instead of crying or complaining about it, I see this as an opportunity to launch our website www.KoiChaHouston.com. With the new website, our sales have gone back up. We’re just so thankful to receive the support from the community and we’re still able to open our store to serve our beloved customers.
So yes, there definitely have been a lot of difficulties but it’s all a learning process for me. There are moments that I feel tired but I’ve been strong enough to pick myself back up because my love for bubble tea will always be there. I’m also very grateful for my husband, who has been by my side and very supportive in every step of the journey.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
KOI CHA – Tapioca Drinks & Snacks was founded with an inspiration from the Legend of the Koi Fish. An ancient tale tells of a Koi Fish swimming upstream a waterfall. God recognized the Koi Fish for its perseverance and determination and turned it into a golden dragon, the image of power and strength. I just love the tale so much that I want the KOI fish to be the logo of the company. CHA is a slang word for tea. I combine the two things that inspire me to come up with the name KOI CHA. Like the Koi Fish, I want KOI CHA to earn the reputation and recognition for the high-quality beverages and services against many existing bubble tea brands.
KOI CHA – Tapioca Drinks & Snacks is known for serving high-quality beverages such as tea, coffee, smoothies, and juices with tapioca pearl. Each drink is made to order, which can be customized by the customer. Our goal is to meet the highest level of customer satisfaction in our products as well as in our services.
I believe what sets us apart from others is the taste of our drinks. In my opinion, bittersweet is the best taste when it comes to bubble tea. I want to preserve the bitterness of tea, at the same time, enhance its taste with the sweetness from the fruit or the flower. When creating the recipes, I also cut down a lot of sugar so that it’s a little healthier to enjoy and the customer doesn’t feel overwhelmed halfway through the drink.
The core values that I have set for KOI CHA – Tapioca Drinks & Snacks are Quality, Happiness, Loyalty, Creativity, and Growth. Being able to implement all of these core values in operating the store, managing employees, and serving the customers is what makes me most proud of as a founder/owner of KOI CHA – Tapioca Drinks & Snacks.
What were you like growing up?
I’m the youngest child in the family. I was well protected by my parents and by my two older brothers. So I tend to be very shy at an early age. Coming to the US in 2008 is a life-changing for me. It’s like stepping out of my comfort zone. And this is when everything started!
Pricing:
- Drinks: $3 – $5
- Foods: $4 – $6
Contact Info:
- Address: 9855 Blackhawk Blvd, Ste C, Houston TX 77075
- Website: www.KoiChaHouston.com
- Phone: (346) 319-4927
- Email: koicha.htx@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koicha.htx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/koicha.htx
Image Credit:
DAO Photography
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