Third Culture Bakery are Still Open for Mochi Muffins

If you’re craving some sugar therapy while stuck inside, look no further than Third Culture Bakery on E. Colfax in Aurora. Originating in Berkeley, CA and run by partners (in love and in business) Sam Butarbutar and Wenter Shyu, the spot is a queer oasis for sweet goodness.

“At 25, I quit my corporate job, and then I was like, ‘I’m gonna start a bakery,’” Shyu said. “To begin with, it was a one-man show. I did a cupcake catering company, very small-time, for two years, and then I met my partner, Sam. We started dating and then a month later combined forces because he was running his own very small bakery, too.”

Although the speed at which the two coupled up and started working together might raise some eyebrows, it clearly paid off.

“There are definitely a lot of hair tosses and flips,” Shyu said, laughing. “But, I think Sam and I were always so inspired by each other, and we always try to push each other, and I think we went into our relationship, even in the very beginning when we first started dating, very practically because we were running our own, individual bakeries and businesses.”

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According to Shyu, the amount of time they spend together is actually what helped them grow at such a fast pace.

“We also really understand each other’s struggle and drama, so if either of us brings a struggle home from work, we both know about it and can relate.”

Not only are the two still a couple, they’re successfully running a chain of small businesses. They started in California and soon realized they were ready to expand. Their most famous product is the mochi muffin, a signature, slightly Westernized take on the mochi dessert that perfectly characterizes their philosophy as a business.

“Being out here in Denver, whenever we visited, we definitely noticed that there was a lack of cool, interesting baked goods,” Shyu explained. “Our baked goods use mostly rice flour, and so everything just happens to be gluten-free. Mochi, our signature product, is very chewy; it’s a different texture. We’ve always wanted to test out new markets that maybe haven’t been exposed to mochi or some of the stuff we’re doing. And, we also wanted to open a safe space where people could hang out and gather.”

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The bakery sources everything locally for both of their stores, adding a farm-to-table mentality to the local shop. Everything they use is ethically sourced, something as important to them as the community they create.

The meaning behind the name is a reference to something quite common in Asian culture: the culture that develops for immigrants that is not quite American, and not quite that of their parents or ancestors. Instead, it’s something new, a third culture. That’s the kind of queer, inclusive, new family the couple are trying to build.

“I really like to have our business just be unapologetically gay but also bring a new, Asian flair to expose Denver to more of the Asian Pacific LGBTQ scene. I just feel like it’s such a different scene, and we have something so special. We started back in 2017 with Sam and I delivering 200 mochi muffins a week to coffee shops, and now we’re servicing all our locations with a full-time team.”

Shyu stresses that it’s important for queer people to have spaces where they can be themselves and see themselves reflected back, especially for queer people of color.

“Sam and I both came out at the same time, and Sam actually had a harder time with his family, facing a bit of rejection from them, so the bakery represents the family that we’ve chosen to be with. We really want to give that kind of feeling to our staff and to anyone that walks into our doors, and just show people that if you come in to have a mochi muffin and you’re respectful, you show others kindness, then you’re welcome.

Third Culture Bakery continues to stay open during this tough time. Support them by grabbing desserts to go. Mochi is located at 9935 E. Colfax in Aurora.

Photos by Heather Smith