On a bustling morning at Paper Son Coffee in San Francisco, Alex Pong expertly navigates the coffee bar, enthusiastically introducing the day’s feature brew. “Today’s coffee is exceptional,” he notes. “It’s sourced from Yunnan, China, and processed with a distinctive yeast that gives it a peachy, osmanthus-like flavor.”

Just two years ago, Pong was immersed in the tech industry rather than crafting espresso. However, a layoff in 2023 became a pivotal moment, prompting a reconsideration of his career path. “I thought, I can either wait until retirement to try this coffee shop idea, or I can take the plunge now,” he recalls.

Now, Pong successfully operates two bustling Paper Son Coffee locations in San Francisco, offering a menu that blends Asian-inspired specialty beverages and coffee with distinctive pastries from partner Tano SF. Yet, the name Paper Son holds deeper significance, as it pays tribute to a challenging yet enduring chapter of Chinese American history.

“The name honors the way my great-great-grandfather and great-grandfather immigrated to San Francisco,” Pong explains. They arrived from southern China as “paper sons”—a term describing immigrants who circumvented the restrictions of the Chinese Exclusion Act by paying someone in America to claim them as relatives.

“Many of us are descendants of paper sons,” Pong emphasizes. “I felt it was crucial to acknowledge and honor this shared part of our history.”

For Pong, a fourth or fifth generation American, the choice was deliberate. “If we’re gonna run an Asian American cafe, why don’t we make a point about that? I think there’s power in the name and specifically referencing a kind of experience.”

Customer reactions range from recognition to curiosity. “Some people have been like, who is Paper and who is Son?” Pong says. “And I’m like, oh, let me have a chat with you real quick.”

Pong’s coffee obsession began about a decade ago. While working in tech during the week, he spent weekends as a barista. Now he’s bridging Asian and American coffee cultures.

“In Asia, tea culture is the predominant drinking beverage culture, so the flavor profiles are very different,” he says. “We have fruit-flavored coffee or lighter roast, more tea-like things.”

The reception has been mixed. “Some people really like it. And some people are like, come on, I just want my coffee to taste like coffee,” he says. “Finding that balance has been a lot of fun.”

He’s also navigating industry economics. “The luxury side is getting more and more expensive,” he says. For Pong, accessibility without sacrificing quality is the goal. “I just want people to know we can do it as good or better than anyone else in the city.”

Growing up in New York City, Pong’s connection to his Chinese roots has always been complicated. “I’m not very Asian,” he says, “but I do think it is important to embrace heritage and incorporate fun flavors.”

“I don’t really have any relatives who I can go back to in China,” he says. “So what does that mean to be Chinese? I don’t know.”

But his family’s century-long presence in San Francisco anchors him. His great-great-grandfather once ran a shop on Stockton Street in Chinatown. Pong dreams of doing a pop-up there someday-“a little homecoming” to reflect on “how far we’ve come but also how some things change but some things just stay the same.”

The privilege isn’t lost on him. “Having the luxury to pivot away from tech with the insurance that if things blow up, I can just go back-that’s not something to be taken for granted.”

Paper Son hosts pop-ups, supports other business owners, and works as a multi-roaster cafe. “That relationship aspect of the business also makes us special,” Pong says.

As for the shop’s vibe? “It’s a reflection of my personality. Pretty low-key, pretty chill, but we try hard,” Pong says. “Every customer, the goal is to make them come out happy. You just want to make someone’s day.”

Recently featured on JP Morgan bus stop ads downtown, Pong’s family wanted people to see the ad rather than visit the shop. “I was like, come on guys, can’t you just send people to my shop?” he laughs.

But mostly, “everyone that I know is just happy for me.” And in a city built by generations of immigrants chasing their dreams, that seems fitting.

Follow Paper Son on Instagram @papersoncoffee.