How crowdfunding, pop-ups and a Grubhub grant launched this boba shop in Dallas

From KERA News:

Inside Hyphen Space near Fair Park, a neon “hey y’all” sign invites visitors in.

On the right is a 3D mixed-media work by Dakari Butler that looks like a cosmic pillow with swirling orange, pink, green, blue and yellow acrylic paint.

The creative co-working space is outfitted with two barista stations, a photo studio, DJ booth and “tatami and chill area.” It’s a specific vibe that co-owners and Gen Z entrepreneurs Alyx Nguyễn and Vivian Luu said exists in major cities like New York, Los Angeles and across Asia, but is missing from Dallas.

Hyphen Space is the answer to a growing demand for connection among Gen Zers who are more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation, according to the Pew Research Center. After the pandemic and an ongoing loneliness epidemic, they’re looking for inclusive third spaces, locations other than work and home.

Christina Hahn, who founded and leads the Dallas Asian American Art Club, said it’s also crucial that Hyphen Space is a Dallas-based food business run by Asian Americans.

“There’s a lot of really cool boutique restaurants or pop-ups that are Asian-themed [in Dallas], but I’m not sure if they are often Asian-led in that way. So I think for Alex and Vivian, as young Asian American entrepreneurs who are Texan Asians, it means something different,” she said.

However, finding the funding to create these spaces hasn’t been easy. While Nguyễn and Luu opened their store in December, it was a four-year journey to get there.

Alyx Nguyen, owner (left to right) talks to Christina Bui and Stefan Tsai during a pop-up event for The Boba Plug at the grand opening of Hyphen Space in Dallas, TX. Nathan Hunsinger / The Dallas Morning News

In 2020, Nguyễn and Luu launched their first brand, The Boba Plug, during the pandemic with $5,000. Motivated to share boba with uniquely Asian American flavors and fresh ingredients, the two catered over 90 pop-ups and events in North Texas over the last four years including collaborations with popular restaurants like La Casita and Detour Doughnuts.

Catering across the region helped them grow a loyal customer base that was willing to follow them wherever they showed up. However, Nguyễn said they wanted to have a physical location where they could more deeply connect with customers, foster community and host workshops and DJ sets.

Like most entrepreneurs, Nguyễn and Luu went to the bank to get a loan. But Nguyễn said because he dropped out of high school and didn’t go to college, banks typically view investing in him as “higher risk. ”

“We did apply for a loan, but then they said no. They said they wanted to see how we would work out with a checking account and other aspects as well,” he said.

Though they were denied a loan, the entrepreneurs had always intended to crowdfund through Kickstarter. So, they launched a campaign in March of 2024 and ended up raising over $36,000 from 233 supporters by April.

Luu said funding the business through Kickstarter was also important to the entrepreneurs because it represents their roots in the community.

“It’s not just big businesses or just having loans. It’s these people that have supported you from the very beginning or those even interested in your story – they could find you in a more public way,” she said. 

Adanely Medina puts a straw in a boba drink during a pop-up event for The Boba Plug. Nathan Hunsinger / The Dallas Morning News

One of those supporters is Diana Nguyen. She visited Hyphen Space for the first time during their soft launch in December, a week before their grand opening. The 24-year-old UI/UX designer lounged on the couch in the entryway as a barista made her a Japanese flash brew.

Nguyen, who is Vietnamese American, said she feels more comfortable going to Hyphen Space because it speaks directly to an Asian American audience.

“I like the ambiance of the place and it seems really peaceful,” she said. “I was really drawn to Hyphen space specifically because I know like other third parties, I think like WeWork and stuff, it feels more corporate.”

The business owners are trying to build up their credit and tax history to eventually re-apply for a loan. In the meantime, they’ve invested over $100,000 from pop-ups back into their business.

They’ve also found support through the National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship’s NextGen program.

ACE NextGen and the National ACE helped them apply for Grubhub’s AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund, which helps support independent, Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned restaurants. The grant provided about $5,000, which Nguyễn and Luu have used to hire new employees and expand their store’s payment system.

The entrepreneurs said learning how to apply for grants and loans has been pivotal.

“We didn’t know that we weren’t answering the questions the way that the grant givers are looking at it. It’s just that inside knowledge that we didn’t know as small-business owners, so we’re always learning,” Luu said.

Over the last year, Nguyễn and Luu have had to quickly learn what it takes to own their own brick-and-mortar shop. They’ve navigated hiring staff, getting permits in order and staying on budget with rent and rising food prices.

It’s not been an easy path, but Nguyễn hopes they can be an example for other young Asian American creatives.

“With the store space, it’s getting to that realization that, hey, I’m able to make it as well as I’m able to show even my little siblings who want to be creatives that you can do this,” he said.

Luu said one of the biggest steps towards making it all possible is preparing financially.

“It is very difficult as a small-business owner,” she said. “Even if you think you have enough money, you will need more money. … You never know what will happen.”

Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.

This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, The University of Texas at Dallas, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and KERA retain full editorial control of Arts Access’ journalism.

If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and KERAnews.org. Thanks for donating today.