Business Spotlight: Dreamers Coffee House
Sandy Truong and Daniel Lam, owners of Dreamers Coffee House
Dreamers Coffee House
54W Henry St.
(202) 905-2088
Opened during the beginning of the pandemic, Longevity Fund grantee Dreamers Coffee House started selling drinks on Henry Street in January 2020. As locals who wanted to create a place for locals, co-owners Sandy Truong and Daniel Lam have lived in Chinatown for many years. Sandy was born in downtown NYC and raised in the Lower East Side. Daniel was raised in a Chinese takeout restaurant that his parents owned in DC. Before starting Dreamers Coffee House, they worked together at a senior center in Chinatown for almost 8 years.
Why did you start your business?
Throughout the years, we’ve seen gentrification take over. Many new businesses were displacing mom-and-pop Chinese stores with no acknowledgment of the existing community. Being with seniors every day, we saw how the places they regularly go to were closing and they were not welcome in the new ones. We wanted to create a place for the neighborhood, and offer products and services as “jook-sings” (Chinese born in a Western environment) to showcase how you can be modern yet still be a part of the local community. There is a clear cultural dichotomy between our elders and our American peers and we hope to bridge this gap with our small humble coffee shop.
Who are your typical customers?
We strive to cater to the neighborhood with Chinese-speaking staff and a Chinese menu. 90% of our customers live within a 2-3 block radius. This community has helped us get through this difficult year. We try to be inclusive of the older Chinese patrons by giving them senior discounts. Since our customers are mostly local, we also act as a bulletin board for the neighborhood and post Public Service Announcements like information about rent reduction.
“Many new businesses were displacing mom-and-pop Chinese stores with no acknowledgement of the existing community…. There is a clear cultural dichotomy between our elders and our American peers and we hope to bridge this gap with our small humble coffee shop.”
How have you been faring with the impact of COVID?
Since people began moving out at the beginning of 2020, the neighborhood has thinned out. It’s been a big challenge with lower foot traffic and fewer residents. In order to diversify our product range, we have scaled up food and now make sandwiches in-house. We also do some deliveries by ourselves. Even though we are on seamless and grubhub, we have some customers who text us and we will run over their order.
“We want to … create a space for people to sit and hang out… and give the community a meeting place.”
How will the Longevity Fund grant help your business?
We hope to use the grant money to help build an outdoor seating area. Henry Street is a quiet street and lends to a neighborhood vibe. We want to lean into that and create a space for people to sit and hang out. Before summer, we hope to get our beer and wine license to have longer opening hours and give the community a meeting place. We want to provide more variety to our customers.
How can people help support your business?
Please stop by if you’re around! We also hope people consider moving back to Chinatown. The biggest push against gentrification is for those who grew up here to come back, live here and hang out here.
Chinatown small businesses like Dreamers Coffee House are what make the spirit of our neighborhood. We need your support to keep that spirit alive. Please consider donating to The Longevity Fund, our small business relief fund, or help us spread the word of what’s at stake. Together, we can preserve Chinatown businesses and help keep Chinatown open for business.
Photo Credits: Steven Yen
