Business Spotlight: Slo Slo Studio
Written By Alice Yang, Photos by Jordan Ji
Slo Slo Studio
146 Henry Street
On the corner of Henry and Madison, a Fuzhounese supermarket once anchored the neighborhood – stocking the shelves with Chinese snacks and treats that neighborhood kids grew up on. All of my childhood memories end the day at that supermarket, grabbing snacks for the park nearby. Today that space has transformed into a ceramics studio, where creativity is free to roam and the power is in your own hands with what you create.
New owners- Jon and Tra with the previous owners!
I had the pleasure of sitting down with co-owners Jon and Tra to talk about their journey to opening Slo Slo Studio.
After growing up in North Carolina and studying at UNC Chapel Hill, Tra, a Vietnamese American, was drawn to the energy of a bigger city and the pull of mission-driven work. This path led her straight to the nonprofit sector. She later met Jon at a ceramics studio in Brooklyn, and has lived in NYC for a decade.
Jon, on the other hand, is a born-and-raised New Yorker. His parents immigrated in the '80s and worked in restaurants all over the city before eventually moving the family to Long Island. (In a fun coincidence, the restaurant they opened on LI is one I frequented and loved during my time at Stony Brook University. Such a small world). After studying fine arts in Rhode Island and working in fabrication and production for artists, Jon found his way back to the food industry, landing in the kitchen at neighborhood (and our team’s) favorite, Golden Diner.
The way Jon and Tra met feels like the first chapter of this studio's origin story. Around three years ago, Jon was working at a ceramics studio just a couple blocks from where Tra lived, a coincidence that quickly turned into something more. From the very beginning, the two were already brainstorming together. "I want to do this together!" Tra said. Those conversations planted a seed that took root over the next two years. Jon began scouting rental spaces and they explored the idea of opening up a cafe, but quickly pivoted to ceramics, their real shared passion.
On the corner of Henry and Rutgers Street now sits a place where beautiful ceramics are born and creativity is given room to grow. We were so happy to hear that they came across this opportunity in Welcome to Chinatown’s small business newsletter! The space of the former supermarket was purchased by someone with a specific vision: they wanted another small business in that space specifically. As Tra put it, their values aligned with what the community stood for and that shared sense of purpose is ultimately what made the space feel like home to them.
Of course, the journey wasn't without its challenges. Like many first-time business owners, Jon and Tra encountered hidden costs and logistics they hadn't fully anticipated (garbage pickup,insurance, etc). These day-to-day details quietly add up. As Jon put it, "It's stuff you don't think you'd need, but it does matter." The timeline had its share of hurdles too. Between renovations and lease finalization, their original opening date of January 2026 got pushed to March. Tra shared with me a reminder that in the world of small business, optimism and reality don't always move at the pace you want it to. But the thing that motivates them is the unwavering passion, the determination to create a sense of belonging for artists and those who want to explore the craft.
After interviewing countless business spotlights these past years, one common theme that keeps recurring is how important community is and the beauty of leaning on each other. When I asked Jon and Tra about their experience opening, they explained that it was a lot of self-funding and “building it with our own hands…a lot of just figuring it out, learning from Youtube videos on building furniture.” Like so many new business owners, they needed to save costs. Most of their furniture came from Facebook Marketplace, and if there was something they could do themselves, they did. For the work that needed professional hands (HVAC, electrical) Jon and Tra made a point to hire locally, bringing in people from within the Chinatown community. What made it even more special was how those connections came together: from word of mouth, a very “I know a guy” type of feeling where the businesses recommended each other to Jon and Tra. That spirit of mutual support embodies what community means to Jon and Tra personally.
Chinatown is celebrated for its incredible food and beverage scene, but Tra and Jon envisioned Slo Slo Studio as something different, a third space for artists and creatives, a place where the mind is free to wander.
“Truly a space where you can foster community”
When I asked the duo about their plans for the future, they were very clear: they want to remain deeply invested in the community. "We want to provide programming for the elderly…" They've told me that since opening, countless aunties, uncles, and grandparents have wandered in, with curiosity about the space and the crafts being made there. Their long-term goal is to offer subsidized programming or even free through the collaboration of other community organizations or nonprofits. Jon shared with me that his parents have been coming into the studio a lot and work on the pottery wheel and enjoy it immensely.
“The intergenerational aspect is wonderful and to be able to share that experience”
Since opening, they have connected with countless Asian ceramic artists and creatives. "Ceramics have such a rich culture, whether it's Chinese or Vietnamese…" Jon and Tra shared that they want to honor the cultural history of the art while reimagining it for a modern context through Slo Slo Studio. "It is important to me to showcase all of the amazing artists," Tra added.
The supermarket on the corner of Henry and Madison fed a neighborhood for years (8 year old me included). Slo Slo Studio is doing the same, just differently. Where there were once snacks grabbed on the way to the nearby park, there is now a studio where artists find each other. The corner hasn't lost its purpose. It just found a new one.
To learn more about Slo Slo Studio and check out their programming, visit their website or Instagram.
We can't wait to see what you create.
