The Bokksu Okinawa Beach Party box is a good representation of the variety of Japanese imported ... [+]
Bokksu is an authentic Japanese snack subscription box service delivering sweets, treats, and teas across the globe. Every month, Bokksu hand curates snack bundles around different cultural themes and seasonal flavors. By partnering with 100+ year old Japanese snack makers, Bokksu is able to help sustain and empower their traditional craft, culture, and history to share it with snacker lovers everywhere.
"Bokksu brings out all of the best flavors of Japan through delicious, fresh, authentic snacks and more!" offers Sahra Nguyen, Founder of Nguyen Coffee Supply.
In 2018, Bokksu launched Bokksu Boutique for consumers to shop collections of snack foods and lifestyle items from Japan on demand. At Bokksu Boutique, shoppers can browse through past subscription box themes, various gift boxes and best sellers.
By 2021, Bokksu then launched Bokksu Market, a thoughtfully curated online Asian grocery store to help more people access everyday Asian grocery essentials for cooking and eating. Bokksu Market’s virtual shelves offer an array of pantry items, beverages, frozen foods, and condiments from Japan.
"Bokksu is truly the best there is in the realm of Asian snacks— the next best thing to a trip to Japan!" says Kevin Lee, Co-Founder of Immi.
Bokksu has also already achieved 7-figure revenues and profitability with less than $2 million in funding. CEO & Founder, Danny Taing, is equally proud of the company’s progress and his team across New York and Japan in which >30% of the company is BIPOC, female, LGBQT, and bilingual. Forbes sat down with Taing to speak on the Bokksu brand and story.
Goldie Chan: When and how was Bokksu founded?
Danny Taing: I founded Bokksu in 2015 with the mission of deepening people's understanding of Japanese culture. After living in Tokyo for 4 years and moving back to New York City, I realized that many Americans had a limited understanding of Japan beyond sushi and geisha. I created Bokksu to deliver authentic Japanese food and traditions right to people's homes, with the hope that it would open up their palates and their minds. Bokksu is a proudly LGBTQ+ and AAPI-owned company.
Chan: What has the Bokksu journey been?
Taing: Bokksu started out with my retired mother and I packing boxes in our living room full of snacks purchased at retail price in Japan and hauled back to America in suitcases. Over the years, Bokksu has grown significantly, now with established long-standing relationships with many centuries old family snack makers in Japan, which allows for the freshest and most authentic snacks and treats that can make their way to the Bokksu customer. Bokksu originated with the concept of a monthly snack box, but has grown into a myriad of other business offerings, like Bokksu Market, which offers Asian snacks and pantry items to the curious consumer.
Founder Danny Taing stands in front of Bokksu boxes.
Chan: What kind of experience do you want to create for your consumers?
Taing: Authenticity and culture have always been at the heart of the Bokksu brand. Bokksu aims to encapsulate that sentiment through creating an avenue for people to taste and experience delicious, authentic snacks with unique flavors from traditional Japanese snack makers. By curating Japanese snacks each month for the customer, we want to make Japanese flavors a little bit less “foreign” and encourage people to experience a new culture and open up a new point of view for them.
Chan: Describe the Bokksu brand.
Taing: Bokksu is a direct-to-consumer company that delivers authentic Japanese snacks and home goods to customers worldwide. Through its snack subscription service and curated market of premium products, Bokksu partners with traditional family businesses in Japan to share their craft with over 100 countries, supporting and promoting their artisanal products globally.
Chan: What is Bokksu working on now?
Taing: We recently teamed up with Sanrio, the creator of Hello Kitty, to launch a bimonthly limited edition collector’s snack box, each of which will be themed around a different group of Hello Kitty and Friends characters. Each box includes premium Japanese snacks that have never been available for purchase before outside of Japan, exclusive limited Hello Kitty merchandise, and a printed snack guide / activity book that contains an original Hello Kitty story, and a detailed overview of the snacks’ makers and ingredients.
We are also working on growing Bokksu Market, a pan-Asian snack and pantry item delivery service. Bokksu recently started offering next-day delivery in select zip codes and is aiming to increase coverage over time. Bokksu Market is also aiming to facilitate an easy shopping experience with curated Discovery Bundles, which pairs together a bunch of delicious and exciting items all together, so you can try them all – Ramen Discovery Bundle, Mochi Discovery Bundle, Chip Discovery Bundle, and more!
Chan: What is in store for Bokksu for the future?
Taing: Bokksu is continuously growing, iterating, and doing whatever it takes to create a unique, authentic, and delicious experience for our customers. We are always looking to share the love of food and culture with the world, and are continuously exploring new partnership opportunities to reach new audiences and create a unique experience. Bokksu has a lot of new exciting things coming up, so definitely stay tuned!
