When Kim Mai and Jeff Wong decided to open Chance’s Coffee in North Park, they weren’t put off by how many other coffee shops already existed nearby. In fact, that’s what drew them to the area.
“North Park was always kind of our north star, where we wanted to be, just given how wonderful the coffee community is there,” says Mai. And if we’re counting both quality and quantity, she’s right. 30th Street may once have been considered the best beer street in America, but counting the number of java stops along the route and nearby cross streets, I think it’s safe to say coffee has well overtaken.
When the couple moved to San Diego in 2021, they explored the city by trying a new coffee shop each week, but didn’t find much in the way of the Vietnamese coffee they’d enjoyed in their hometowns of Seattle and San Jose. Saigon Coffee hadn’t yet opened, and when it did, it focused on very traditional phin drip coffee like you’d find at a coffee shop in Vietnam. That style is absolutely phenomenal, Mai adds. It’s just not what they’re trying to do.
“So we’re like, ‘Wow, this is an untapped market in San Diego, and [we] really wanted to just bring more of that culture here,’” she explains.
They traveled through Vietnam and southeast Asia, visiting coffee shops and coming up with a new concept they thought might work. Back in San Diego, they launched a pop-up featuring modern takes on traditional Vietnamese coffee, using different creams with Asian flavors like ube and pandan, housemade syrups like jasmine buds, and robusta coffee beans imported from Vietnam. Robusta beans contain around twice as much caffeine as arabica beans, giving it a stronger flavor and resulting in a bigger buzz.
The pop-ups ended up being so successful they decided to take a leap on opening their first brick-and-mortar. For a year, they searched for the right spot to mix their coffee concept with a love of dogs—especially their rescue pup, Chance, who inspired the shop’s name.
“We rescued him from Mexico, so we took a chance on him, and we took a chance [when] we moved on to San Diego, [and] now we’re taking a chance on this business,” Mai says, adding they will have a pet-friendly patio and hope to host plenty of adoption events.
Chance’s Coffee soft opens October 25, with a grand opening party sometime in November. Expect Vietnamese coffees and specialty drinks, espresso drinks, lattes, matcha, teas, and a small food menu with pastries, parfaits, and Asian-inspired small bites like pandan waffles. There will be a few surprises along the way, Mai says.
“It won’t be your traditional Vietnamese coffee shop,” she promises.
Chance’s Coffee soft opens at 2311 El Cajon Boulevard in North Park on Saturday, October 25.
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
San Diego’s Michelin-Star Mexican Spot Brings Major Talent to Town for Birthday Dinner
To earn a Michelin star three years in a row in four years of operation is a pretty incredible feat, yet Valle in Oceanside has pulled it off and made it look easy. To celebrate its fourth birthday, the restaurant is throwing a birthday bash in true chef form—bringing in Michelin-starred chef Luis Roger from Houston’s BCN to cook alongside chef Roberto Alcocer for one night, a bunch of courses, a lot of wine, and only a few seats. Snag your place at the October 25 dinner now, before they’re gone.
Beth’s Bites
- The star-studded chef event “Chefsgiving” is back at Provisional Kitchen at The Pendry in Downtown on November 13. The annual event gathers some of the city’s top chefs, who serve a feast of next-level Thanksgiving-inspired dishes—raising money for San Diego Food Bank. Joining Provisional’s host chef Brandon Sloan for this year’s lineup is Michelin-starred Drew Deckman (31ThirtyOne), Matt Lyons (Tribute Pizza), Quinnton Austin (Louisiana Purchase), Jon Bautista (James Beard nominee of Ember & Rye), Lauren Lawless (Hell’s Kitchen), Adrian Mendoza (ex-Herb & Wood, Wayfarer), JoJo Ruiz (Lionfish/Serea), Davin Waite (Wrench & Rodent/The Plot), Mark Schmitt (Trust) and the Pendry chef team—Sebastian Bravo, Amett Parra, and Dara Steinrichter.
- It’s the end of an era at Mary’s Donuts in Santee. Owner and founder Mary Hennessy passed away this week after 40 years of 24/7/365 donut service. She’s been a constant pillar of her community for decades and will be sorely missed by many, and it’s with genuine delight to know that her granddaughter Kelly will continue the family legacy. Lots of love to her family and loved ones.
- I’ve been known to indulge in a Del Taco drive-thru run or two in my time. I suppose only finance bros and die-hard Del Taco fans would really notice that San Diego-based Jack in the Box sold the taco chain for $115 million, but still. That’s a lot of tacos, and hopefully it keeps the giant Jack head firmly atop the foul ball pole at Petco Park where he truly belongs.
- Corks are popping and doors are opening this weekend in Gaslamp, when Wine Girl opens its third location at 460 Fifth Avenue on Saturday, October 25 starting at 6 p.m. Come toast the coast at San Diego’s newest wine bar with champagne, exclusive opening merch, etc.
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