Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Chan.
Hi Donna, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started making desserts 10 years ago with my mom which quickly turned into an addiction with baking. I had a career in healthcare prior to this hobby but in 2018, I had a health scare that changed my life. I realized I was overworking (still do, haha) and finally had the courage to quit my 9-5 to pursue entrepreneurship full-time. I started a business that focused on macarons and ice cream and had a little shop in White Center for a few years. Fast forward to 2021 when I realized I wanted to create more variety of desserts and started Puffy Pandy as a new project. I knew I wanted to continue to stay in White Center because I love this neighborhood and there is a lack of family-oriented spaces so I decided to create one myself which is how the idea of a panda-themed dessert café came to be.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Creating a brand new business has its many challenges. One was renovating and figuring everything out. To save on costs, we had to do a lot of the renovations ourselves which ended up taking longer than predicted.
Another major challenge is keeping up with all the new social media marketing trends while creating a demand for our product.
No one tells you this about entrepreneurship but it is definitely a challenge keeping a good work life balance. I quit my 9-5 to work 24/7 but I don’t regret any of it. I love what I do.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Puffy Pandy is a panda-themed dessert café in White Center, Seattle that offers a unique selection of desserts with a focus on Asian-inspired flavors. This space was created to share our experimental creations while providing a fun experience for the whole family.
What makes you happy?
I find happiness in creating fun desserts for people to try and seeing customers experience the fun store we have created. The store also brings me so much joy because it is something my team and I built from the ground up. Every detail was designed and took five months for us to create the space.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.puffypandy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puffypandy/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/puffypandy/
- Yelp: https://www.instagram.com/puffypandy/?hl=en
Image Credits
All photos taken by our team member Peter Nguyen
