Preserving the past while serving the present, future
Mad Dog & Merrill: Fired up for 15th season
December 1, 2025
GREEN BAY – Bambu Green Bay was recently named New Business Start-up of the Year by the Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce – nominated by other start-ups for its welcoming atmosphere and commitment to diversity.
That’s exactly what Co-owners Danny Thao and Nadine Lee said they wanted to create with Bambu Green Bay – not only a dessert shop, but a welcoming space where culture and community come together over food and drink.
The two-year-old, Military Avenue location, Lee said, was inspired by the Vietnamese coffee shops, cafes and storefronts she visited while living in California.
Thao said they also wanted the shop to serve as a go-to spot for Asian American families craving a taste of home, while inviting others to explore innovative new flavors.
Crafting a unique concept
After exploring various ideas, Thao said he found the right fit in the Bambu franchise, which specializes in Asian beverages and desserts.
The menu, he said, spans Vietnamese dessert drinks, coffees, Asian-inspired teas, smoothies, boba, French macarons, waffles and other trending items, all made with fresh, high-quality ingredients.
“I wanted to do something different for the area, and with the [Bambu] menu…, I knew we could offer something unique and add diversity to the area,” he said. “We decided on this menu because this area deserves a hip vibe from the city.”
Thao said the result is a menu bursting with flavors, many of which aren’t available anywhere else in the region.
“We could have opened a simple start-up boba shop and sold typical boba drinks, but we wanted something different with the fresh fruit, exotic fruits,” Lee said. “I love going through the menu with customers and explaining the [ingredients] and educating them on where they come from and their history.”
Thao said Bambu Green Bay’s most popular item is the No. 6 Fruit Addict (Che Trai Cay) smoothie, which blends seasonal fruits in coconut milk with lychee, jackfruit and other ingredients, making it more of a dessert than a drink.
“We serve it with both a straw and a spoon,” he said. “These are desserts with a lot of textures and flavors.”
Thao said the shop’s No. 2 seller, the Halo Halo smoothie, also layers fruits, pudding and ice cream into one cup.
Beyond smoothies, he said the shop has earned a strong following for its Vietnamese coffee, teas, sparkling refreshers and Yonami, a Vietnamese-style yogurt.
The extensive menu and the team’s willingness to customize each drink, Thao said, means customers can explore far beyond the typical strawberries and bananas.
Tropical fruits, he said, play a starring role, as do ingredients not typically considered “dessert” in Western culture: red beans, avocado and chamoy.
When the shop first opened, Thao and Lee said they routinely traveled to Milwaukee, Chicago and even the Twin Cities to stock up on fresh coconut and produce to meet their quality standards.
Today, the co-owners said they’ve refined their inventory approach.
“We know now how to control and estimate how much sugar, coconut and exotic fruit we need,” Lee said.
Beyond the cup
For those craving something beyond drinks, Thao said Bambu Green Bay offers waffles – though not the traditional kind.
Mochi waffles, including the popular green pandan waffle made with pandan leaf extract, he said, offer a chewy interior and crispy exterior.
“I tell people to try it, because they don’t even need syrup,” he said.
Thao said the shop also features bubble waffles, which serve as a base for fruit, whipped cream, powdered sugar or ice cream.
Additional menu offerings, he said, include soup dumplings (with broth inside the dumpling), imported Oreo varieties and colorful macarons.
Thao said Bambu Green Bay’s pastel-hued shop – complete with a rainbow wall, a popular swing and bubble-shaped lights – complements the menu items.
“I describe it as a one-of-a-kind dessert shop with variety,” he said.
Yet, Thao said ambiance is only part of the equation, with the store’s focus on guest experience – shaped by his corporate customer service background – taking center stage.
“I worked in customer service for the majority of my life, and I am not simply selling a drink or item,” he said. “I am selling an experience. I want them to feel welcome and have fun.”
Community engagement
Just as it prioritizes a welcoming experience for patrons, Thao said the shop extends that commitment to the community through partnerships with nonprofit and youth-focused programs.
Lee said Bambu Green Bay collaborates with Southwest High School clubs, the Boys & Girls Club and Maiv Passion Foundation’s Bambu College Crew – a series of in-store sessions aimed at helping students and their families understand college application resources.
“[We host] these sessions from 5-7 p.m. on Thursdays, and it’s a great way for students and families to learn about funding and grants,” she said.
Bambu Green Bay has also made its presence felt at major community events, serving waffles and coffee during the 2025 NFL Draft and participating as a vendor at the Hmong New Year celebration at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB).
A hidden jewel
Despite its colorful and diverse menu, Thao said Bambu Green Bay remains somewhat tucked away on Military Avenue, a challenge he openly acknowledges.
“We are a hidden gem,” he said. “We’ve found that social media has been the way to promote our shop, but there are still a lot of people who don’t know about us.”
Being located in what he calls “Coffee Central,” near Starbucks, Scooters, Caribou Coffee and others, Thao said also has its advantages, particularly as connectivity grows between the Lambeau Field District and Military Avenue Business District.
Thao said he credits community resources for helping the business gain traction, including guidance from Wendy Townsend – the former economic development project and program manager for the City of Green Bay – and business mentor David Stauffacher at UWGB’s Small Business Development Center.
The couple said their vision for Bambu Green Bay’s future includes hopes of expanding the kitchen to offer more food options and possibly introducing a “Bambu on the Go” service.
However, for now, Thao said their focus remains on serving the diverse array of customers who walk through their doors.
“We try to be patient, because we are only in the second year of business, but we want more people to realize what we offer,” he said. “Almost every day, we have people who come in and say, ‘I just heard about your shop.’ I try to stay humble as we need to get to years three to five to really [solidify our place].”
Visit Bambu Green Bay on Facebook – or at drinkbambu.com – for more details.
