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

Hi Joyce, thanks for joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

Hi, thanks for having us!

Goodies is a first generation Snack Shop & Market – a focused marketplace where snacking culture is represented through the lens of flavor, discovery and community. We do a lot of things differently than what you typically see in the industry – we embrace a sense of identity and reject conventional industry norms. We do this by staying true to our goal of centering a new generation of independent brands, creating a space conducive to discovery, and highlighting fun nostalgic flavors that inspire. Our goal is to taste make a truly special customer experience both in-store and out of store, and we hand pick each product we bring to our snacky community.

Goodies is the product of my multidisciplinary experience working in consumer packaged goods over the years, and a representation of what I felt was missing and much needed in my new home city of Portland. Snacks, bevvies, Asian American Pantry, & beauty essentials in a dreamy atmosphere. We like to keep it fun, fresh and vibey – essentially, Goodies Snack Shop is everything your grocery store isn’t.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Joyce Chung, founder of Goodies Snack Shop, a first generation neighborhood market where snacking culture is represented through the lens of discovery, flavor and community.

I am a first generation Korean American who grew up in Los Angeles before moving to Portland in 2021. My background is in CPG brand marketing, and I spent my career helping grow food and beverage brands all across the nation. It was in F&B where I found my love for product innovation, packaging design, and founder forward companies that were challenging industry norms.

My partner (Terence) and I moved to Portland from Los Angeles in 2021 and began working on figuring out what was next for us. We had previously worked together on a beverage project prior to the pandemic, and knew we wanted to keep creating together. Pulling from my experience in food & beverage, as well as our combined love for producing beautiful spaces & experiences – we began imagining what a neighborhood market that centered around community, flavor and discovery could look like.  We were inspired by dreamy Portland days where any day could turn into a little adventure- and what adventure is complete without the proper goodies? We couldn’t find the place we were looking for, so we set out to build it.

After months of searching for the right space, we happened upon a historic corner space that had spent over a decade vacant in the heart of Portland’s forgotten Chinatown, and we quickly began imagining the space filled with life and color. We wanted to build a place for the community, for people to have a special place to gather and connect.

We curate flavors of our childhood – Our take on curated convenience brings together an intentional collection of fun beverages, snacks, Asian American pantry, and daily essentials —We aim to be a reflection of what we want to see highlighted more in the food and beverage industry, where representation and equity are still very much lacking.

Today, our shop is home to some of the industry’s best new, independent brands, with the majority of our offerings being Asian American & women led brands.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In 2022, we opened doors to our first brick and mortar business in one of Portland’s most historic neighborhoods, one year into moving to a new state on the tail end of the pandemic. I had been confronted with a series of challenges leading up to and during the pandemic, including the loss of my mother in 2021 that left me searching for new meaning in a new place.

Life as I knew it would never be the same. Despite it all and through the grief, I found strength in knowing I could start fresh and make something beautiful out of it all– and that I had to.

I started my business shortly after moving to a new state as a way to find and connect with community, build upon my industry, and to do something impactful within my local neighborhood. I wanted to create something meaningful coming out of the challenges the last few years had presented. I knew I wanted to champion independent brands and really showcase what I love about my industry in a way that felt authentic to me while also creating a space for people to feel seen and represented.

Starting your own business in an economic recession is pretty insane to do, but we really believed in our vision and knew we could put in the time to build something special. It has been a little over a year and half now since opening Goodies, and I can attest that being an entrepreneur is a test in resilience, on the daily! We are front of house, back of house, and everything in between.

Portland’s Old Town Chinatown is a beautiful neighborhood, but also one of the most neglected parts of the city. Spaces have sat vacant, the city has turned a blind eye, and the pandemic coupled with unfavorable, overblown headlines on national news have locals and tourists avoiding Downtown Portland. We know things aren’t going to get better overnight, but we believe we can make a difference in our little corner of town just by leading by example and continuing to invest in our community.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Our business is self funded, pulling from our savings and working on freelance projects to make it all work. Creative solutions coupled with starting small and slowly building our business has been our approach. It can be easy to compare yourself to other brands and businesses who have more capital to work with on branding and marketing, but in my experience it is 100% ok to grow at your own pace and figure it out along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://goodiessnackshop.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodiessnackshop/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/joyce-chung