Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joe Luo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Joe, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

More than 20 years ago I had the idea of wanting to sell traditional Taiwanese gua baos, aka The Taiwanese Burger, in the United States. However I lacked the necessary skills and confidence back then. Seven years ago after turning 45, I decided it was time to finally take the chance. I did not want to regret not even trying.

In 2015 I returned to my hometown of Keelung, Taiwan. It had been more than 30 years since I lived here. I worked and trained alongside my father-in-law and we opened a restaurant in the famous Keelung Night Market. The restaurant found success as it was featured on several media outlets and interviews. This validation and success launched the plan to move the restaurant to the US. I finally was able to complete my goal and I opened Love Bao Taiwanese Kitchen in Cary, North Carolina in 2019.

Joe, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Joe Luo, the owner and chef of Love Bao Taiwanese Kitchen. I moved to the United States more than 30 years ago and have worked in the restaurant industry since. Around 15 years ago I saw an opportunity to bring a classic Taiwanese street food to the States. I moved back to Taiwan for 2 years, perfected the craft, and opened a restaurant in a popular night market. This led to bringing the restaurant to Cary, NC in 2019. We serve gua baos, rice plates, noodle dishes, and a variety of appetizers. Our most popular choices are the Original Gua Bao and Lu Rou Fan Rice Plate.

I am most proud of our dedication to sticking with traditional recipes and hearing it tastes just like their grandma’s in Taiwan! We take great pride in carefully preparing each of our entrees and hope it brings you a bit of home or has you fall in love with Taiwanese cuisine.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

We opened in July 2019 and by March 2020, COVID had hit. As you can imagine this was not the ideal situation for a business not even a year old yet, especially a business in the food industry. We were able to persevere and adapt as time went on, reducing it to only my wife and I working. We also increased our health and safety protocols, added curbside pick up, and only offered take out. The effects of COVID are still present today as we are dealing with food shortages and the cost of inflation as are many other restaurants. We want to express our gratitude for all of our encouraging and supportive customers during these obstacles.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When we first opened we were lucky enough to be approached by two smaller food influencer accounts that have both grown immensely since then. Their goal was to connect with small businesses that had just opened up in the Triangle area. This helped spread the word that a new Taiwanese restaurant had opened and was excited to serve the community.
In the beginning, we also started a series where we shared each entree with a picture and a little blurb about the backstory of how this dish came to be. It was important for us to show our dedication to keeping the authenticity of Taiwanese food. It was also a great way to introduce the menu to people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lovebaokitchen.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovebao_taiwanesekitchen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoveBaoTaiwaneseKitchen/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/love-bao-taiwanese-kitchen-cary
• Other: https://www.google.com/search?q=love+bao+taiwanese+kitchen&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#wptab=s:H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgVuLVT9c3NEzLTakwKSwpf8RowS3w8sc9YSn9SWtOXmPU5OIKzsgvd80rySypFJLmYoOyBKX4uVB18uxi4vfJT07MCcjPDEoty0wtL17EqpSTX5aqkJSYr1CSmFmemJdanKqQnVmSnJGap1AEUQQAjiuTIIMAAAA