Yoboseyo Superette: small business, big impact

The first time I stepped into USC Village, I was greeted by the sight of a long line stretching out of a storefront, bustling with lively college students. Curious about the buzz, I asked what all the excitement was about. It turned out that the crowd was drawn by the recent opening of Yoboseyo Superette, a new boba shop on campus.

Yoboseyo Superette opened at USC Village just in time for the start of the school year. The new boba shop — which has quickly become a student favorite in the six months since it arrived at the University — blends boba drinks, retail items and hip ambiance to create a “specialty market bodega.” 

“When I first walked into Yoboseyo, I loved the ambiance. It was so fun, and I also was so excited when I saw they sold Swedish candy,” said Sasha Khadka, a freshman majoring in business administration.

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James and Cindy Choi own and operate the store, alongside Cafe Dulce — a popular chain with three locations in Los Angeles, including one at USC Village.

Before the couple met, James and Cindy were both involved in the food and hospitality industry. After getting his bachelor’s degree in accounting as well as business administration at USC, James owned a Swiss chocolate boutique called Teuscher in Palo Alto, and Cindy was a marketing manager for the Chaya Restaurant Group in San Francisco. After meeting through a mutual friend, the couple dated for five years then moved from the Bay Area to L.A., where they got married and went into business together. 

After a few years of running Cafe Dulce and the Yoboseyo Superette located in Little Tokyo, the couple reached out to USC’s in-house real estate department to ask about the possibility of opening a shop at USC Village. When they heard there was an available space in the shopping center, it felt like a sign that it was the perfect opportunity for the Chois to make their dreams a reality.

The couple decided to open a second Yoboseyo Superette this year. The first, which opened in 2022, is a two-story complex located in Little Tokyo. The Little Tokyo location started as a coffee bar and evolved into a coffee and matcha shop. While the Yoboseyo Superette in Little Tokyo doesn’t sell boba, the Yoboseyo Superette at USC Village specializes in boba. 

All of the drinks from Yoboseyo come in cups with the store’s logo — a smiling girl with pigtails — which the couple designed based on their now six-year-old daughter, Autumn. The name is inspired by the season when the couple officially started dating and also holds special meaning as it marks the season of Autumn’s birth.

The two locations share one key similarity: both have a retail section that sells products from small businesses. 

Starting out as small business owners themselves, the Chois understand the struggle of building a business. When they were planning to open Yoboseyo Superette, they wanted to find a way to spotlight and help other small business owners. 

In an interview with the Daily Trojan, Cindy said she wants to foster a sense of community by supporting a diverse array of small businesses.

“It’s kind of become like a neighborhood space for the different organizations,” Cindy said.

At first, they considered sharing the space with another company, but they eventually realized that they would rather bring in and sell products from multiple small businesses.

Yoboseyo Superette sells products from businesses ranging from chili oil to cookbooks to plants. The hope is that while customers are waiting for their drinks, they can shop around and support local businesses. 

When the Chois opened the first Yoboseyo Superette, many small businesses were still recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. Cindy and James, hoping to help, began reaching out to small businesses to see if they wanted to sell their products in their store. 

One of Yoboseyo Superette’s standout offerings is fresh, hand-rolled kimbap — a popular Korean dish featuring seasoned rice, vegetables and choice fillings like marinated meat or fish, all wrapped in dried seaweed and sliced for easy enjoyment. This kimbap, which actually uses quinoa in place of rice, comes from an L.A.-based chef Christina Ko, who is a close friend of James and Cindy. 

Every Monday, Ko personally delivers freshly made kimbap to Yoboseyo Superette, providing a steady source of this delicious specialty for eager customers. Previously reliant on pop-up markets, Ko now has a consistent home for her creations, with Yoboseyo allowing her to connect with more of the community and share her unique flavors year-round. This is just one example of the many products from local businesses that James and Cindy have integrated into their store.

The design of the physical space within the store also serves as a testament to James and Cindy’s determination to help small businesses. When designing the interior, the couple hired local artists to hand-paint the walls. The murals are designed to resonate with USC students, with images like the California poppy and a USC ballcap. 

As for the menu, Yoboseyo Superette serves a variety of milk and fruit tea beverages. Some of the store’s signature drinks include the Jasmine White Grape, Oolong Milk Tea and Tiger Milk, but its most popular drink is its Blueberry Matcha Latte with boba, which uses the same recipe as sister store Cafe Dulce to create a refreshing, sweet boba drink. The range of menu items offers something for everyone. The couple prides themselves on taking immense care in preparing the milk teas.

 “I think the reason why our milk teas stand out is we actually use coffee equipment to brew the tea into the milk,” James said. 

The store is looking to continue to expand its menu in the future, although the couple discussed that one of the biggest challenges with opening the new store has been the availability of quality boba. Since Yoboseyo Superette sources its boba from Fanale, the only manufactured boba tea supplier in the United States, the supply is more limited, making it harder to obtain. In spite of this challenge, James and Cindy said they will remain committed to serving high-quality drinks made with local ingredients.

“We’re really trying to put something on there that we’ll be able to stand behind,” James said. 

While the couple is not opposed to the idea, they currently are not planning on opening any additional stores. Rather, they are focused on cultivating a tight-knit community at their existing locations.

With a mission to support small businesses, cultivate community and provide a space for students to relax and connect, Yoboseyo Superette is poised to become a neighborhood staple. By blending quality drinks, local products and a welcoming atmosphere, Yoboseyo Superette offers the USC community so much more than just a place to grab a quick drink.