How Wine & Google Helped Bring a New Beloved Chinatown Business to Life: An Interview With Lucy Yu

personal essay

Mar 24

As anyone who lives in New York or has ever visited New York knows, Chinatown is an amazing neighborhood full of great food, culture, and shops—many of which have roots spanning back decades. The next time you get off at Canal Street, head towards the intersection of Mulberry and Walker Street. Tucked away on this quiet side street sits a cozy, little bookstore flooded with warm lighting, distinctive decor, and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves home to a variety of books. Once you step inside, owner Lucy Yu greets you with a presence as warm as the store itself and an abundance of book recommendations to peruse through.

Editor-in-Chief Katrina Kwok recently had the opportunity to visit New York City’s first Asian-American female-owned bookstore, Yu and Me Books, and spoke with Lucy about her experience opening her small business.

Katrina Kwok: Hi Lucy! Thank you so much for sitting down with Periphery Magazine to talk about your experience as the owner of Yu and Me Books. Tell us a little bit about yourself! Where are you from, what are your passions aside from the bookstore, your favorite spot in Chinatown, etc.?

Lucy Yu: “Hi! Thank you so much for having me! I am a nerd from Los Angeles originally, and made my way to NYC just three years ago. My other passions are painting, drawing, running (slowly), and watching movies. I have so many favorite spots in Chinatown but I have to give a major shout out to Tasty Dumpling next door since they've kept me fed since I've opened the store.”

*Interviewer’s Note: Tasty Dumpling is indeed tasty.

KK: How did you start Yu and Me Books?

LY: “It's been a dream of mine, but the business plan really started with 3 glasses of wine and a Google search for "How to Open Up a Bookstore". I really could not have done it without the community support through crowd fundraising as well.”

KK: Yu and Me is in such a good location at Mulberry Street, did you always anticipate it being in Chinatown and in New York? Had you considered being in Midtown or the West Village or even another state?

LY: “Thank you so much! It feels like a dream to be across from a park when the sun peeks through the store windows. Before I settled down in Chinatown, I looked at retail spaces in the East Village and the Lower East Side but my partner, Matt, nudged me to look in Chinatown. He reminded me how much Chinatown meant to me growing up and how it was important to have a bookstore there.”

KK: What were the reactions of people around you when you decided to go forward with your own bookstore?

LY: “Most of my friends were so incredibly supportive and loving. They cheered me on during times when I didn't believe in myself and was full of self doubt. My mother was definitely terrified of the idea of me switching from my very stable job to starting my own business, but she changed her mind after spending 3 weeks with me at the store every day.”

KK: What does the name “Yu and Me” mean to you?

LY: “It means we are taking the time to share stories, speak to each other, and listen to each other. It reminds me that we are intertwined in our histories in you and me. The initials YM are also a homage to my mother's initials!”

KK: As a first-time small business owner, what’s been the most surprising thing about owning your own bookstore that you didn’t expect to encounter or face?

LY: “I think the sheer amount of paperwork was a shock! I knew there were going to be logistical aspects that I wasn't going to be prepared for, but I wasn't quite ready for the amount of documents needed to get everything done - and I'm still learning!”

KK: Do you have a favorite interaction with a customer and/or customers so far?

LY: “My favorites are my repeat customers that I see regularly. I get to catch up on their lives and hear what their opinions are of the books they read at the store. It makes me feel like there's family and community that meet at my store.”

KK: There are so many amazing books to peruse through in the store and there is such variety within the choices as well. How did you approach curating the selection of books you have in the store?

LY: “This is both the most difficult and the most fun part of the job! It's so hard to limit myself with the space that we have because there's such a plethora of amazing books out there. I try to choose stories that are unique with an immigrant experience and speak to those of us that have felt othered. I rotate through inventory often so I hope customers find something new every time they come in!”

KK: The store has such an inviting and warm feeling that I noticed as soon as I stepped in. Was this an intentional choice and what was the process of decorating the physical storefront like? Do you come from a design background or did you simply do what felt right?

LY: “Thank you so much for the kind words! My goal of the space was to give the feeling of a friend's living room. I definitely didn't come from a design background (my background is chemical engineering but I sure watched a ton of home improvement shows on TLC) and I totally went for what felt right. I wanted to have people come in and feel the coziness and warmth of the space, so I'm so glad you felt that way!”

KK: The community absolutely loves Yu and Me, and from what I’ve witnessed online, there’s a lot of online love and support as well. How does it feel to be on the receiving end of this and did you anticipate this kind of reaction from the community?

LY: “I was completely taken aback by the response! I really didn't know if anyone was going to resonate with the store but I felt so incredibly grateful to see that so many did. I still am shocked by how excited people are about Yu & Me but I welcome it with open arms!”

KK: What are some upcoming events at Yu and Me that Periphery Magazine readers can look forward to?

LY: “You can always follow our upcoming events on @yuandmebooks on Instagram! We have a ton of exciting signings, resources, and events coming up! It's not just limited to books but we will be partnering with other amazing small businesses in the city!”

KK: Bonus, obligatory question for a bookstore owner, but what are you currently reading and how do you like it so far? Another bonus question but do you have any recs for Periphery Magazine readers as well?

LY: “This is the hardest question by far! I am currently reading Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou and loving it. I would recommend the below books:

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi
Thick by Tressie McMillan Cottom
American Sunrise by Joy Harjo
What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams”

Yu and Me Books is located at 44 Mulberry Street and open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 AM to 7 PM. Visit Lucy and help support local Chinatown businesses! Periphery Magazine thanks Lucy Yu for her contribution and wishes her neverending success! You can find Lucy and Yu and Me Books here: