Though much of Saratoga downtown remains sleepy and quiet on Saturday mornings, the area outside viral vegan bakery Tai Zhan buzzes with activity.
Customers are there for a coveted 3-hour period when Tai Zhan, a bakery operated by couple Wendy Chan and Keith Jonsgard, opens its doors and sells products like croissants and milk buns, all vegan. Patrons queue outside the store while inside, Chan and Jonsgard busily prepare to open their doors. With prices ranging from $5-$10 per pastry, customers can be seen exiting with multiple boxes of various pastries.
The bakery, which first began as a pop-up in 2018 to support those devastated by the Paradise fires, officially opened a storefront in Saratoga in October 2023. Since then, Chan and Johnsgard have supplied Saratoga residents with fresh, vegan pastries every other Saturday.
The bakery was inspired by Chan’s grandparents, who ran a small butcher shop in Hong Kong. Chan, now vegan, craved a way to enjoy the familiar baked goods despite her new dietary restriction and began developing vegan versions of Hong-Kong classics like flakey egg tarts and pineapple buns.
Now, the bakery serves a mix of desserts, from black sesame and red bean croissants to coffee cakes and cookies. They even have fusion dishes like matcha buns and milk buns — a Tai Zhan classic sweet bread roll.
Chan works part-time and Johnsgard works full-time at another job, and they also have two kids — an already busy schedule. So, the bakery only opens from 9 a.m. to noon every other Saturday, though they often sell out well before closing.
Since they’re only in the actual bakery on Saturday, much of the prep-work is done in their home, Chan explained. And, they don’t hire any additional staff to help with the baking. So, anything that can be done ahead of time — like making the dough and the filling — is done at home, and they only finish baking all the pastries in the bakery itself.
“We chose this schedule because it’s the best we can do at the current moment,” Chan said. “Every week we are not open, I am prepping fillings, making butters, testing new treats and cleaning. Hopefully, we can open more in the future.”
Another popular aspect of Tai Zhan is its homemade vegan butter, an integral part of any pastry. Most vegan bakeries buy their butter from other vendors, but Chan makes all of theirs from scratch, lending to its signature taste.
In the line forms outside the shop before it opens are some new customers, but most are returning ones ready for another batch of fresh vegan pastries. Returning customers comment on the convenience of a vegan bakery to enjoy sweet treats that don’t follow traditional recipes with eggs and milk.
“I’m vegan, and there aren’t a lot of options around here that offer such a variety of vegan desserts. It’s nice to have a place that’s doing something plant-based and eco-conscious,” said Scott, who said he commutes regularly to the bakery from downtown San Jose.
Occasionally, Chan and Johnsgard travel to hold pop ups in other places in the Bay to spread the word about their vegan pastries and meet new customers.
Tai Zhan can also be found at a Pups and Pastry event held in pop-ups across the East Bay, allowing them to reach more vegans who can’t make the commute to Saratoga. Hosted by Millennium Restaurant, the event unites local bakers and an animal shelter to offer sweet treats — and the chance to take home a new pet.
The bakery has not only revitalized a small part of the Saratoga community, but it has also helped connect the owners with a larger community.
“We both have lived in the area our whole lives,” Chan said. “Saratoga has a really passionate community. We are grateful to help make the town such a beautiful space.”
