Yoks Cafe started with a feeling Jon couldn't shake: being far from home and wanting a place that felt like it.

Jon grew up in Liliha, on Oʻahu, where food and community were never separate things. Most weekends and summers were spent at his parents' restaurant, Ba Le Sandwich Shop*, in Kāneʻohe. After finishing college in Seattle, Jon spent years running front and back of house for F&B businesses across the city before taking the leap to build something of his own. Something that nodded back to the island that raised him.

In December 2025, Yoks Cafe hosted its first pop-up. The idea became real, fast. Pop-up after pop-up, Yoks Cafe showed up for Seattle neighborhoods & the community reciprocated that energy right back.

Behind the cart you'll find Jon and Giang, a husband and wife duo who love good food, good people, and any excuse to bring them together.

*FUN FACT: Jon’s parents are still the sole owners & operators to this day! Come say hi & grab their croissant bánh mì if you’re ever on the Windward side.