Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Pepping
Hi Michelle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When Michelle Pepping and Gene Tran met as college students in 2000, they often studied at local cafés. That’s when daydreams of opening up a café together started, but each would go on to graduate and pursue other opportunities while remaining in touch. Fast forward 20 years when much of the world was shut down in the pandemic, Michelle and Gene debuted Okaeri Café to the Dallas Fort Worth area to much fanfare. Originally operating out of a ghost kitchen and via pop ups, Okaeri built an impressive loyal following, all through social media and word of mouth. Their best sellers were their omurice, curry and panda bear-shaped rice — a delight for children and adults alike, as well as for their Instagram feeds. As each pop up quickly sold out, Michelle and Gene started looking for a brick and mortar venue the following year to meet the rising demand. They eventually settled in downtown Richardson, attracting Texans of all backgrounds to come get cozy in their upbeat café featuring traditional Japanese floor seating. Okaeri Cafe has it all – offering delicious and affordable menu options, as well as premium grade matcha and coffee drinks.
One of the questions Michelle and Gene are asked the most is how they settled on comfort Japanese cuisine. Their collective background up to that point in the restaurant business included sushi, Cajun, Thai, and Chinese cuisines. However, it was after Gene returned from living in Japan for a few years that he was inspired to bring authentic Japanese comfort food to the DFW area, something he felt Dallas was missing. He didn’t have to twist Michelle’s arm — Michelle is known in the restaurant industry for immersing herself in new challenges. Together, they worked tirelessly to craft and perfect each recipe using authentic spices and cooking methods, all while adding their own personal flair. The result? The taste of each dish is deeply driven by their passion and enthusiasm for food.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth road right from the start; we were ready to debut Okaeri Cafe in 2020 and then the pandemic happened and so we had to get creative. We embraced the temporary pop up model to introduce new Japanese dishes out of a small commercial kitchen space to see what the market liked. We earned a loyal following through social media and via word of mouth. We found our brick-and-mortar in 2022 and when we opened our doors, we were greeted with lines of customers. Our overwhelmed staff and small space (can seat only 30 people) wasn’t ready. We couldn’t keep up with the demand and ran out of food, but overall everyone was so kind and understanding. Since then, our staff are better trained and equipped for a busy lunch or dinner time. Now the challenge that we face is supply and food shortages, as well as increases in cost. There are items where we have to source from three to four different vendors before we can find any in stock. And since our cost went up that has to translate to our menu prices increasing which is out of our control.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Okaeri Cafe has it all – offering delicious and affordable Japanese menu options, as well as premium grade matcha and coffee drinks. We specialize in authentic Japanese cuisines while adding our own personal flairs (for example our Hotto Doggu). Our small and humble space is unique and comfortable. It is perfect for studying, hanging out or enjoying a dining experience with friends. We also take pride in our involvement in the community. We host annual Thanksgiving Canned Food Drives and Salvation Army’s Angel Tree at the cafe. We sponsor many local college groups and organizations. We believe in unity and giving back to our community.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Okaeri is derived from the Japanese expression okaerinasai, which translates to “welcome home.” We are so incredibly grateful to start from a pop up model during the midst of a pandemic and now have made a home for us in Richardson. We would like to thank our customers for all the love and support that they have given us over the years and we vow to continue to grow, to create and to serve our community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.okaericafe.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okaeri_cafe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/okaericafetx/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/okaeri-cafe-richardson-2?osq=Okaeri+Cafe
- Other: https://okaericafe.square.site/
Image Credits
Tim Lee @tim_vs_food
Thanin Viriyaki @severus_snapshot
Derrick Outhavong @sayanstudios
