Conversations with Desiree Sayarath

Today we’d like to introduce you to Desiree Sayarath.

Hi Desiree, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I had been working remotely for about four years and was ready for a career change. At the same time, my family and I had been saving money to buy a home, but unfortunately, despite our savings, it was still something we could not afford. Once we moved on from the idea of purchasing a home, I decided to take a leap of faith by opening my own business. I had always been a bookworm and wanted to work with books, but couldn’t find a way in that felt right to me. I’ve always heard of book cafes but never a book and boba shop. In my area there are very little boba spots north of the 210 freeway. I thought it’d be a unique business model to offer the community. I especially wanted to be a mom&pop type of shop compared to being something trendy. It was very important to me that my shop could be a place where community gathered. The shop name, dym, is an acronym for delight, diversify, or even decolonize your mind. dym is a place to bridge any gaps in cuisine, culture, and communication.

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?
The biggest hurdle I had to face in my first year as a business owner was the Eaton Fire in my first week of opening. I had to quickly learn how to be a place of resources and refuge for my community. Through this misfortune, I was able to meet and connect with many people who needed assistance or who wanted to volunteer their time and energy towards aid. Aside from the fire, I think I’ve had an overall smooth experience as a first-time business owner. Of course I’ve had to self-teach myself many things, but thanks to the support of my family, business neighbors, and city resources, I’ve been able to experience a healthy and stable growth in my clientele.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
While book cafes can be considered a common business combination, dym is the first indie book and boba cafe. dym is an acronym for delight, diversify, or even decolonize your mind. I pride my store in offering diversity in both our menu and book curation. Representation is an extremely important value we hold in our store and think it can be experienced in a casual way.

What matters most to you?
Cultural diversity. I want to be an influence in changing what is “normal.” Boba, or bubble tea, is still considered a “trendy”, “new”, or even “weird” drink to a lot of people. I hope to change that mindset in consumption. There is no “normal”, only what we are used to. dym is a place to try new things and experience others’ lives through storytelling.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: dympasadena

Image Credits
Saira Basravi (photo 1 & 2)
Desiree Sayarath (photo 3 & 4)
Saeng Douangdara (photo 5)