USC alumnus James Choi opened Cafe Dulce at the USC Village in 2017. (USC Photo/Stephen Gee)
USC alum James Choi’s Cafe Dulce success story
Choi, who graduated from USC in 2005 with a degree in accounting, is the owner and founder of the cafe-bakery.
If you’ve ever strolled through USC Village, chances are you’ve spotted the line snaking out the door at Cafe Dulce. The popular cafe-bakery was founded by James Choi, who graduated from USC in 2005 with a degree in accounting.
Choi quit his job as a financial auditor at the accounting firm EY to help his mother launch the first Cafe Dulce in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles in 2011 after her relationship with her original business partner collapsed. “My mom really wanted to start a cafe-bakery,” he said. “She had just finished battling cancer, so I showed up and had to figure out how to run a cafe-bakery and here we are 14 years later.”
Cafe Dulce has grown to five locations, but the one at USC Village holds a special place in Choi’s heart. Since opening in 2017, it has become more than just a stop for coffee and pastries. “This is definitely our most successful Dulce,” Choi said. “We’ve become part of the culture here, and I never take that for granted.”
