By Cheryl Hentz
When Kao Shoua Yang moved to the United States as a refugee from the Vietnam War, she knew what it was like to go without. Yang, a teenager at the time, and her family had little and were lucky to have one hot meal each day.
Yang’s experience motivated her to open a business selling the staple Asian foods people typically couldn’t afford to buy from a traditional store. In 2005, she started Main Oriental Market in 1,500 square feet of strip mall space in downtown Green Bay.
In 2011, CVS purchased the space the market was renting. Yang and her husband, Bruce — also a Vietnam War refugee — searched for another location in which to continue their business but couldn’t find the right one, leading to a two-year closure.
In 2013, the pair found a building on Pine Street in downtown Green Bay that suited their needs. They purchased it and have been running their business from there ever since.
“Our goal has always been to help ensure that all critical needs for the Asian community are met,” says Tara Yang, Kao Shoua and Bruce’s daughter and manager of the market. “One of the most important is people having authentic, nutritious and affordable Asian food, and we are honored to have provided that for all these years and into the future.”
The market specializes in imported Asian foods such as fresh produce and frozen fish brought in from Southeast Asia, including tilapia, squid and octopus. It also offers noodle soups and has sections devoted to ramen, bamboo and special seasonings. In addition, it sells smoked beef and chicken from a supplier in Kaukauna and baked goods from a Korean bakery in Chicago.
In April, the Yangs will break ground on a new, larger store located across the street. The shop will be a hybrid store carrying 70 percent traditional foods that would be found at major grocers and 30 percent specialty Asian foods. The new store is expected to open in January 2024.
“That will make us unique compared to the competition,” Tara Yang says.
