Serial entrepreneur May Lin has high hopes for her new store on Chapel Street in New Haven, Zakka Yale. Although the store is brand-new, she’s already ready to franchise her unique blend of anime figurines, Korean and Japanese beauty items, Chinese snacks, housewares, foam footwear and more.
“May has always wanted to create her own style, introducing elements of Asian culture by bringing in exclusive products such as the ones you see in our store,” said Lin’s spokesperson, Katie Xie. “We hope Zakka Yale will add a touch of uniqueness to our customers’ lives.”
Lin, Xie and a host of city officials cut the ribbon on Zakka Yale Tuesday afternoon, taking in the store’s mix of products and on-trend style. Business Development Director Carlos Eyzaguirre also noted Lin’s track record: Her The Whale Tea boba shop chain has grown from one store in China to 20 across the world.
Speaking in Mandarin, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker described the growth of the city’s Asian community, which has doubled in size in recent years.
Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Garrett Sheehan said, “This is a great store, it just adds to the vibrancy that we have downtown. We have the best downtown in Connecticut.”
Also speaking at the Zakka Yale opening was Christine Kim, representing the fledgling AAPINHV: Kim described the group as “an intergenerational, pan-Asian collective that we’ve started in New Haven to start really reaching across ethnic lines and really create a space for the Asian American community to tell each other stories and support each other.”
The group, formed during the outbreak of anti-Asian violence during the pandemic, is working on a directory and storytelling project to introduce Asian small business owners to the community.
“Asians have been in New Haven for a long time, for decades and centuries, but we have not really been connected with the larger New Haven community,” Kim said.
Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.
