Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon Ku
Hi Sharon, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hi my name is Sharon Ku and I’m the CEO and co-owner of Uji Time Dessert. After going on a trip to Uji Japan, we were inspired to bring taiyaki ice cream and Japanese dessert to the Bay Area in 2015. Today, we are now a growing franchise with 5 storefronts in the Bay Area, another one on the way, and two more in progress outside of California. During COVID, we had time to , transforming our soft serve focus into the development of Asian inspired flavored ice cream pints which are found in over 40 grocery stores around the Bay Area.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Finding home in Japantown San Francisco, 80% of our customers were Asian. Our customers would line up for maybe 20-3o minutes just to get our ice cream. And now, I find that when I come to visit the store, I would say our customer audience is definitely more diverse as more people are willing to try our Asian inspired ice cream and desserts. During COVID, we took a hit and had to close on of our stores. However, that didn’t stop our team from persevering and being creative in our times of struggle. We developed an ice cream pint line on top of our signature soft serve so people could still have the chance to eat our ice cream in the comfort of our own homes. We would also collaborate with other Bay Area small businesses and allow them to host pop ups at our storefronts or host pre-order events for customers to pick up our products. During COVID, it was a time of collaboration over competition. I really think that helped us during our time of struggle.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are known for our matcha and black sesame ice cream flavors. These flavor profiles are important in our culture. Every month we feature different seasonal flavors to capture the essence of the Asian flavor profiles including sakura during Cherry Blossom season, ramune, tofu, and more. We were the first dessert shop in the Bay Area to introduce taiyaki ice cream. Our taiyaki cones are fish shaped waffle cones, that have the crunch of a waffle, but are soft inside like a pancake. Customers can fill them with red bean or nutella. We are most proud of being able to offer our traditional Japanese desserts with a fusion twist to it.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Now that we are a franchise, we have different potential partners that frequently inquire us asking how they can open up an Uji Time Dessert of their own. We also have Uji Time Express shops that are located inside of other restaurants and cafes, including Papillon Gourmet Coffee and Tea in Lafayette and Cape 7 Cafe in Alameda. We also offer 2.5 gallon ice cream tubs to restaurants to serve in their stores. We are very open to collaborating with other businesses. We have developed a TCHO chocolate red velvet ice cream in the past and that was fun! We even developed a dog-friendly “Pup Cream” which was sold in an indoor dog park in the Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton.
Pricing:
- Taiyaki Ice Cream $8-9
- Ice Cream Pints $11
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ujitimedessert.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ujitimedessert
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ujitimedessert
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDMwMZ5oIkKNdHAUtnGhRfg
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/uji-time-dessert-san-francisco
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ujitimedessert
