"The most important reason is my lease ending, that's the key reason," owner Dorothy Tso told SFGATE. "Also we are in the Stonestown mall, which was a great starting point for us at the beginning, but the space is too big. ... Due to the high rent and so many overheard costs, it's really challenging for us."
"I feel like the clientele is more diversified, so many high tech companies, and the population is booming," Tso said of the South Bay. "I feel like there's more opportunity there."
Tso, a former pastry chef, decided to license the name from Gram Cafe and open the first U.S. location in San Francisco after tasting their souffle pancakes on a trip to Japan. She thought the chain, which now has over 60 locations across Asia, Canada, Australia and the U.S., would be perfect for the Bay Area.
Since the SF Gram Cafe opened in 2019, souffle pancakes have taken off as a trend locally, from OH Dessert Cafe to Teazo. Tso also opened a second Gram Cafe in Los Angeles in 2023, and has personally relocated to Los Angeles.
Collection
[
|
...
]