A loan helped a woman-owned coffee shop in Brooklyn to provide jobs for a group of female immigrants.


Hanh's story

Born in the hustling bustling city of Saigon, grew up in the beach town of Nha Trang, spent college years in the largest Vietnamese community in the US, San Jose, and set root in the concrete jungle of New York City, I am a proud minority female immigrant business owner of a Vietnamese Coffee shop in Brooklyn. I have always dreamed of building a cafe that can introduce Vietnamese flavors globally with a sustainable approach.
I met Thomas Nghiem when I was hosting on Airbnb. His family owns a coffee manufacturer in Dalat, Vietnam. We crossed in 2018 when I visited Vietnam. I became his exclusive exporter in the US three years later, and we worked on branding Sep Thi coffee together.
My love for Vietnamese foods developed from living away from home in New York. I hosted friend gatherings and made Vietnamese dishes like spring rolls and pho. Now I get a chance to do that and introduce even more words to people in Brooklyn.
Caring about the environment, I intentionally use grass straws, coconut straws, and bamboo straws in the shop. Every little detail is intentional to create as little waste as possible. And I add some fun to things with thrift clothing as well.
When you walk into the shop, you will understand me: eccentric and verdant.


This loan is special because:

It supports this passionate entrepreneur to expand their business.



Loan details


About Coconana LLC

Industry: Food
Years in operation: 3 years - 5 years
Website: coconananyc.com

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Loan details