Churros N Chocolate in May 2016.[/caption]
After traveling across Europe, Asia, North America, Africa and his native country, Australia, Twee Nguyen landed in Texas and found himself craving the treats he discovered on his many excursions.
“I’ve had the privilege to really be immersed in other cultures,” Nguyen said. “In all my travels, one of the things I like to do is eat—trying different types of food and desserts. So I decided to just open up something myself and put everything I liked from my travels there.”
Since opening Angels’ Churros N Chocolate at Barker Cypress Road and FM 529 in May 2016, Nguyen said growth in the area has brought more business his way. Cypress was a prime location, because the market does not have anything like what the shop offers, he said.
Additionally, Nguyen’s wife is a dentist in the same retail center, and he wanted to work close to her.
“We don’t want anyone to get cavities, but we have an inside joke that if I cause cavities [at Angels’], she can fix them,” he said.
Most of the menu items are desserts imported from or inspired by foreign countries, Nguyen said. Churros from Spain, chocolate from Belgium and Germany, mochi ice cream from Japan, macarons from France, elote from Mexico, boba beverages from Asia and coffees from Italy are some of Angels’ staples.
Nguyen said even the shop’s interior decor was inspired by his travels; he got the idea for lanterns hanging from the ceiling from an Australian coffeehouse, and the wooden walls were inspired by a hostel he stayed at in Japan.
“We’re always trying to do something a little bit different,” he said. “You want to find out what the customer wants and then bring that here. For me, if it’s fun, then I want to do that.”
In the future, Nguyen said he hopes to open three more dessert shops in the Greater Houston area, each with a different theme—industrial, beach and bookworm. He said Rice Village or the University of Houston area would be ideal for his next endeavor.
In the meantime, Lone Star College-CyFair and nearby high schools draw the young demographic Nguyen said he wants to cater to.
“That’s the time in your life when you have the most fun and need cool places to hang out,” he said. “I’ve also met a couple of kids and [have] been able to give them a cool environment to work in and make some money so they can save up and travel the world, too.”
7160 Barker Cypress Road, Cypress 832-792-8535 www.angelscnc.us Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.