Biz Buzz: Happy Thyme owner planning Asian food court

ST. CLOUD — Just months after opening, the owners of Happy Thyme Asian Marketplace and Restaurant already have plans to expand.

Co-owner Huitao Hong, 30, arrived in St. Cloud 13 years ago from China to pursue a management degree at St. Cloud State University. He’s put that degree to use opening a marketplace selling Asian goods, including snacks, drinks, ramen, produce, fruit, vegetables and more.

The business also recently unveiled

a kitchen serving Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine.

(I highly recommend the mochi ice cream, a popular dessert.)

There are additional expansions on the horizon, he said.

Hong plans to move his other business, ViVi Bubble Tea on Fifth Avenue South, into Happy Thyme Market. And Happy Thyme is expected to have a food court featuring additional Asian cuisines.

Question: Why did you decide to start the market?

Hong: Sometimes I really want the Chinese food and the Chinese items, but I always need to go to the Twin Cities and it’s not really convenient. That’s why I had the idea to open the grocery store.

Trent Abrego / St. Cloud LIVE

Q: How have things been going since you opened? 

Hong: Now, the grocery side, it’s kind of OK. But during the weekends it’s kind of busy. The restaurant we only opened a month [ago]. More and more people know we have the restaurant here, and they keep coming right now. We’ve seen a lot of new customers here recently.

Q: What are the popular items at the restaurant?

Hong: The top three are chicken katsu and the tonkatsu curry, or the honey glazed (dishes). A lot of people really like the meats with broccoli; beef with broccoli and chicken with broccoli are really popular here and the Kung Pao chicken.

Q: What are some popular items at the marketplace?

Hong: It’s hard to say. A lot of people here purchase the Asian beverages or the Asian-style Oreos, because there’s different flavors they haven’t seen before, like birthday cake or something like that. What’s really popular is the mochi. Every time we bring a new kind of mochi, it’s gone right away.

Q: What are your future plans?

Hong: We will open the wall (formerly shared with LL Flooring) and make the two spaces as one space. Then we’ll be trying to lease space to open the Korean food, Japanese food, and Vietnamese food, something like that and it could make more people come here and they can just go for different Asian-style foods.

Hong did not provide a timeline on when the food court area will open.

Happy Thyme Marketplace is at 3320 W. Division St. The store is open from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

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  tinyurl.com/PrideTattooFundraiser.

  Rocket Up is at 117 1/2 Fifth Ave. S. in downtown St. Cloud.

• Catalina’s Michoacana has launched a trailer, serving up its ice cream and other snacks. The trailer will travel to different events. To stay updated, follow

  tinyurl.com/CatalinasMichoacanaFB.

• Blush Salon & Suites is officially open at 106 Second Ave. NW in St. Joseph. Additional information can be found at

  facebook.com/blushsalonminnesota.

Trent Abrego is a business reporter for St. Cloud LIVE and can be reached at [email protected].