When Jiaxin Wang and Chong Ooi moved to Seattle, they had all the right ingredients to open a ramen shop. There’s the knowledge that comes from growing up eating ramen all the time – for breakfast or for dinner – they know what makes a good bowl of ramen. Then there’s the know-how. While in Hawaii, Ooi worked in a ramen shop serving up an estimated 400 bowls a day. Next, the location. The couple said they knew it had to be Seattle because “rainy weather is the best ramen weather.”
They arrived in Seattle in 2015 and immediately got to work opening their shop. Ooi even used his job driving for Uber to scout for the best neighborhood for their shop.
“We realized Capitol Hill on weekends and at nighttime is really busy and foot traffic is good. This place was for lease, and that’s how we ended up here,” explained Wang.
They opened Ooink in 2016. Nine years later, no detail is too small. The bones for the broth come from a butcher who gives them specific bones for the perfect flavor. They buy specific eggs for the best yolk. The water for the noodles comes from an artesian well in Lynnwood because it makes the noodle’s texture just right.
They also incorporate the flavors they grew up eating into the menu. Spicy and mouth-numbing dishes, fried chicken, Shanghai-style ramen, and more. Both Wang and Ooi say this their way of pouring their passion into every bowl.
“We have a Japanese base. The soups, they are creamy, a Japanese style. The technique is a Japanese style. But we also add our own personality, our own flavor to our ramen,” said Wang. “That’s what makes our ramen special.”
In 2022, Wang was researching how to get a business loan. Everything was opening back up after the pandemic and the price of doing business was going up. That’s when she discovered our Small Business Capital Access Program.
CAP offers financial assistance through principal paydowns on eligible loans and other financing options. We collaborate with community lenders to reduce borrowing costs for businesses, covering up to 20% of the principal or $30,000, whichever is lower. This program aims to create opportunities for business owners, particularly those with limited access to financial services.
By lowering the monthly payments on their loan, Ooi and Wang say CAP opened up new opportunities for their business. They opened a second location in Fremont in 2022. They also purchased equipment to upgrade the e-commerce side of Ooink. Now they can ship freeze dried ramen anywhere in the country, sharing their ramen with customers old and new.
“A lot of our customers moved away right after the pandemic. So even now they can still get the flavor of Ooink and remember the days they lived in Seattle,” said Wang.
Wang says the biggest benefit for them is the reduced time working behind the counter, freeing them up to think of creative ways to grow their business.
“The capital gave us time to think out of the box to figure out, ‘Oh there is more opportunity. We can do this, we can do that.’ But if every day I work here, I cannot think of where our product can go,” she said.
The time also means Ooi and Wang can focus on using those quality ingredients to add their own modern twist on ramen to share with Seattle and beyond.
“I feel like we’re connecting to the people,” said Wang. “You bring people together, no matter where they’re from, give them a bowl of hot ramen and then they feel fulfilled after they eat.”
The Office of Economic Development’s purpose is to shape the Future of Seattle’s Economy and make it more equitable, prosperous, and competitive. We do this work by leading projects and making investments that open up access to economic opportunities, reduce the racial wealth gap, and encourage innovation and growth. A pillar of FSE is building BIPOC community wealth. CAP helps small businesses, especially those who haven’t had equitable access to financial support, building community wealth in historically underserved communities. Learn more about the Small Business Capital Access Program here.