Waco's food scene is better because of small, family- and immigrant-owned businesses. One of our favorites is Cha Community.
Who they are
Cha Community is a fast-casual boba tea café serving premium boba (also called bubble tea), pan-fried dumplings, and Taiwanese and Chinese food. It's an Asian American and immigrant-owned small business with locations in Waco and Temple.
Their mission is to bridge cultures and create community through food and drink. That's something we believe in too.
Why we connect with them
Tru Jamaica and Cha Community come from different parts of the world, but our stories have a lot in common:
- We both bring food from our families' heritage to Central Texas.
- We both see a restaurant as more than a place to eat. It's a place where different communities meet.
- We both invest in the people and neighborhoods around us.
What we admire about Cha
Cha publishes a community impact report every year, sharing what they've done for their neighbors. They've hosted a holiday market for BIPOC small business vendors and written openly about sustainability and about what their food means for Asian American identity. It's a model for how a small restaurant can lead in its community.
They stood with us after the fire
When the fire hit and we lost our space, Cha Community didn't watch from a distance. They walked with us side by side, prayed with us and for us, and started a GoFundMe to help us get back on our feet. In the hardest stretch we've been through, they showed up like family. They are truly friends and brothers at heart, and we won't forget it.
We've cooked together
This isn't just admiration from across town. Tru Jamaica and Cha Community have teamed up in the kitchen — most memorably on Jerk Beef Dumplings, our Jamaican jerk seasoning folded into their hand-made dumplings. It's exactly the kind of cross-culture mashup both our shops are built on.
Visit them
Next time you're craving boba or dumplings, go see Cha Community. Browse their full menu, or order straight from them with the button below. Then come see us for dinner.
Want to see more of the businesses and organizations we work with? Visit our media page.
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