Meet Jenny Huang, John Yang, Jun Lin | Owners of YumCha

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenny Huang, John Yang, Jun Lin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenny, John & Jun, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
We knew Houston had a large population of tea lovers that was continuously growing. There were a lot of tea shops in Houston, but they were all similar in one way or another. We wanted to open a tea shop where we could stand out from the others by providing quality products and a unique environment for the customers. YumCha really would not have been possible without our unique background and love for tea. The three of us went to China and studied at a famous tea shop for two months. We also visited many different shops and plantations exploring different options. We want to expand the tea culture in Texas and bring it to the next level, where tea lovers can enjoy drinks while creating long lasting memories and friendships.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We pride ourselves on using handpicked tea from a premium tea plantation in China. YumCha translates into yummy tea while ‘Yum’ also means ‘drink’ in Cantonese. We strive to improve and provide a better experience for the customer. We carefully simplify our menu for the highest quality of tasting, which allows our customers to select their drinks easily. Our independent brand will enable us to handcraft the unique quality and taste everyone can enjoy. Customer satisfaction is our number one priority. If our customers are not completely satisfied with our drinks, we are more than happy to remake the drinks until we see a smile on their face. We welcome our customers with spacious interiors and modern designs. It is not only a wonderful place to hang out with friends and family but also a perfect place to study and work. There are always obstacles in running a business, especially when you operate a tea shop in Chinatown because of the competitiveness in the area. Since we are an independent brand tea shop, we always strive to learn the latest market trend and our customers’ demand to seek ways to improve. Our main ingredients are carefully selected from premium suppliers overseas, which can be a hustle when it comes to inventory control. However, we are confident that the time and effort we put into everything will positively reflect our final product.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There is a bunch of places to hang out when it comes to visiting Houston. Below would be the schedule that I made for my best friend’s stay. Day 1:
Breakfast ‘The Breakfast Klub’ – best Chicken and waffles in town
Lunch ‘La Calle’ – grab some Mexican Tacos
Dinner ‘Kokoro’ – fresh sushi; Otoro and Hotate Foie Maki are my favorites!
Tour Plan for the day: Houston’s Museum District – it may take hours to explore Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Natural Science, the Holocaust Museum, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and the lovely Hermann Park. Will end the day with some relaxing drinks at Axelrad.

Day 2:
Breakfast ‘Kolache Factory’ – you can never go wrong with some kolache to start the day
Lunch ‘Whiskey Cake’
Dinner ‘Bosscat Kitchen & Libations’
Tour Plan for the day: Space Center Houston

Day 3:
Breakfast and Lunch: sleep in and have a brunch at ‘Snooze, an A.M. Eatery’
Dinner ‘Oporto Fooding House & Wine’ – Polvo Com Batatas (wood grilled octopus) is my favorite
Tour Plan for the day: Instagram photos with Houston’s Street Art and shop at Vintage stores in the Heights

Day 4:
Breakfast ‘Krispy Kreme’ – waking up to donuts!!
Lunch ‘Shrimp N Stuff’ – enjoy seafood at an affordable price
Dinner ‘Katie’s Seafood Market – buy some fresh and live seafood and cook at home
Tour Plan for the day: Galveston Beach and Moody Gardens

Day 5:
Breakfast ‘Crown Seafood Restaurant’ – traditional Hong Kong Style Breakfast is a must try
Lunch ‘Aga’s Restaurant & Catering’ – one of the best Indian food in Houston
Stop by ‘YumCha Tea and Bakery’ for some refreshing tea and light dessert
Dinner ‘BORI’ – Korean BBQ
Tour Plan for the day: explore Asian Cuisine

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We would like to thank each of our family members. YumCha will not be existed without their support and love. We also wanted to let our staffs know that having them on our YumCha family makes all the difference. We would not have gone so far without their dedication and hardwork. Thanks for all you do!

Website: http://yumchausa.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yumchahouston/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/YumChaHouston

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YumChaHTX/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/yumcha-houston

Image Credits
Instagram: @em_vickypham @chon.eats @itssamazing @foodwithtory.htx