Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Choo.
Hi Tony, 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?
We started the business back in thanksgiving week of 2023. We used be an online antique exporter so the stuff that’s decorated in the store was actually our left over from the previous business. We were running it until Covid hit and changed the whole world and that’s when the business started going down hill. After closing the online business, we had no clue what to do to support the family but luckily with my parents’ help, we were able to start a cafe business. They found this place and met the property owner and made everything happen in just about a week. Everything happened so suddenly and we knew nothing about coffee back then but luckily we found this professional barista through our aunt in law and hired him to teach us about making drinks and coffee. Because of our financial situation at that time, we only took 7 sessions (8hrs/day) and did the soft opening and hoped for the best. With God’s great love and grace we were able to manage from zero employee to 9 employees now. I still spend most of my time at the store working hard but now I can dream about owning multiple locations hopefully in short future.
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?
Opening up a business with no financial aid or support was super tough. But luckily we made just enough to survive and now grateful it’s pretty stable.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Classic Cafe. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a cafe called ‘The Classic Cafe’ located in Fullerton, CA. We opened in Nov. 2023 so pretty new to the business. But with the location’s super unique ambience, we started going viral on social media just a few months after the grand opening. It’s an old historical house that was built in 1913 and converted into a business in early 2000 with a huge backyard. We put so much time and love in to the business especially the garden (all done by my lovely parents) and people love to come in just to relax, have a cup of coffee and talk, study, read, or have their work done. The backyard area is very spacious and we have been getting numerous inquiries about hosting events. We serve plenty of espresso based drinks, teas, lemonades, and matcha drinks. For food wise, we serve panini sandwiches, Korean BBQ rice bowls, Korean style ramens, and etc.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I would say diligence, honesty, and faith!
Pricing:
- Coffee and drinks; $5-$7.50
- Food: $10-20
Contact Info:
- Website: Theclassiccafe2023@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclassiccafe2023?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/x1g_tdd3cf
