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ProfileCoffee shop Land to Sea in New York is a love letter to its Asian-American co-founders’ heritage – and a space for all

By day, Land to Sea serves Asian-inspired drinks; in the evenings, it moonlights as a creative venue, hosting events such as mahjong nights and art workshops

The co-founders wanted to pay homage to their Hong Kong and northern China families through its design – think neon, Chinese newspapers and porcelain tea cups

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In New York and missing Hong Kong? Head to coffee shop Land to Sea, which Eva Zhou (left) and Emily Shum founded as an an homage to their immigrant families. Photo: Land to Sea

Published: 7:15pm, 18 May 2024Updated: 1:09pm, 19 May 2024

Behind the counter at Land to Sea, a coffee shop in Brooklyn, New York, is a Chinese tear-off calendar and a golden lucky cat, while the round coffee tables in the seating area are lined with an array of Chinese newspapers.

Over in the back room, fold-out tables and plastic red stools reminiscent of Hong Kong dai pai dong occupy the space, which is illuminated by a green and red neon sign showcasing the cafe’s mahjong-tile-inspired logo.

For Emily Shum and Eva Zhou, Land to Sea’s co-founders, these details – and the cafe as a whole – act as a love letter to their Asian-American upbringing and a homage to their immigrant families, who moved to the United States from Hong Kong and northern China, respectively.

By day, the coffee shop serves Asian-inspired drinks such as mandarin latte and ginger latte, on top of other coffee and tea selections; in the evenings, it moonlights as an intimate creative venue, hosting events such as mahjong nights, wine tastings and art workshops.

“The allure of Land to Sea is that we’re welcoming you into an extension of our home,” says Shum. “We’ve made this place very personal, but that’s on purpose.”

Shum and Zhou first came up with the idea for their coffee shop in late 2020, after they had both spent several years working in the fashion industry.