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April 20, 2026
SHEBOYGAN – Along Michigan Avenue – one of downtown Sheboygan’s busiest stretches for local businesses, dining and nightlife – a new storefront is becoming part of something larger than itself.
When Hmong Delights Bakeshop opened last month, Co-manager Chadkong Lee said he viewed it as the newest addition to a growing “hub of Hmong businesses” taking shape along the corridor.
“Michigan Avenue has lots of food businesses,” he said. “Next door, we have Chiang Mai Garden, and down the road, there’s a boba tea shop and many other restaurants.”
Lee said Hmong Delights may be new to the community, but its story began long before opening day.
His family, he said, has lived in Sheboygan for decades and has owned the Michigan Avenue building that houses the bakery for years.
Though the space most recently operated as a salon, Lee said it sat vacant for several years – even as his father, Dr. David Blong Lee, continued running his dental practice next door.
The bakeshop, he said, is a family endeavor, led by his mother, Amee, whom he describes as the driving force behind both the business and its baked goods.
“It’s been a lifelong passion for her,” he said. “Her dream was to cook [or bake] for the community. She has made food for large family gatherings and helped cook for community events.”
Lee said that passion expanded in the last year or two when his mother completed professional pastry and baking training at a studio in Thailand – an experience that helped shape her existing recipes and inspired her to open the bakery.
The recipes continue to evolve, he said, as she looks for ways to improve them.
“If she likes an idea, she’ll go for it,” he said.
Flavors that bridge cultures
Lee said the concept behind Hmong Delights is rooted in blending cultural tradition with contemporary baking.
“We specialize in Hmong-inspired pastries that bridge the gap between Southeast Asian flavors and modern baking,” he said.
Many of the bakery’s offerings, Lee said, reflect flavors the family grew up with – including pandan, which is described as the “vanilla of Southeast Asia” and known for its sweet, nutty and lightly floral aroma.
Ube – a purple yam – he said, is another key ingredient.
“She puts these flavors into the sweets, and it tastes really good,” he said.
Lee said taro also plays a prominent role in the menu, highlighting its significance in Hmong cuisine across both sweet and savory offerings.
A compact space, wide-ranging menu
Because of the building’s size, Lee said the business operates primarily as a grab-and-go concept.
“People come in, see what they like and grab and go,” he said.
Inside, Lee said two display cases and multi-tiered wooden shelves hold a mix of baked goods and prepared foods.
Among the shop’s most popular items, he said, are buns filled with taro, ube pandan, coconut pandan, ham and cheese and sausage, along with bánh mì sandwiches.
“The buns and sandwiches are very popular and main items,” he said.
Lee said the bakery also offers vanilla sponge and pandan cakes, cupcakes, fruit-filled croissants and specialty items such as chocolate croissants and cheesecakes.
He said the cookie lineup includes classics like chocolate chip, as well as flavors such as coconut pandan, white chocolate ube and matcha white chocolate chip.
In addition to baked goods, Lee said the shop offers savory grab-and-go foods, such as eggrolls, spring rolls, sausage and roasted pompano fish.
“We weren’t sure about [exclusively being a] bake shop,” he said. “We didn’t want to be kept in the bakery-only market.”
Everything at Hmong Delights, Lee said, is made fresh daily by his mother, who serves as head baker along with a few assistants.
“Since the grand opening, we haven’t had much sleep at all, and we start early in the morning,” he said.
Lee said the response from the community has been strong – describing it as “quite incredible.”
“We started getting comments on not having enough inventory because we were selling out so fast,” he said.
To address demand, Lee said the business adjusted its hours and is now open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
“We made the changes so we can better prepare and make enough inventory for everybody,” he said.
A family-run operation
In addition to his mother’s role as head baker, Lee said he and his brother, Newzone, co-manage the bakery, backed by a small kitchen team.
Lee said he previously worked in business administration and as an office assistant in his father’s practice, and saw opening the bakery as a chance to build new skills.
“I really wanted to gain business experience with marketing and getting involved with the community and talking to new people,” he said. “It seemed fun and exciting, something new I hadn’t done before.”
As co-manager, Lee said his responsibilities include social media, customer engagement, inventory tracking and supply management.
“I run the socials and reply to comments and Google reviews,” he said. “My job is a little bit of everything.”
Lee said early exposure from local media coverage and a Visit Sheboygan feature helped draw customers, along with steady foot traffic from the Michigan Avenue corridor.
Finding a place in the local market
As the business grows, Lee said the family is focused on co-existing with other local bakeries in the region, while offering something different.
That, he said, includes maintaining Hmong Delights’ competitive pricing and introducing new items regularly.
“We want everybody to try everything and keep our prices reasonable and competitive,” he said.
Lee said the bakery rotates featured items to keep the menu fresh and has already developed a base of repeat customers.
“We definitely have some regulars visiting the bakery,” he said. “Some people try one thing at a time, but we also have people who come in and buy two of everything, which is great.”
Looking ahead
Lee said the business has already begun taking catering orders, including a recent job for a local company, and plans to expand those offerings.
“We have many plans for the future,” he said. “We’re just trying to listen to the community and see what they like. We want to find the trendy flavors and bakery items that people want, and we just want to keep drawing in people.”
Lee said future plans also include adding specialty drinks and a bench for guests who want to sit to enjoy their purchases in-house.
