Today we’d like to introduce you to Lily Nguyen.
Hi Lily, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hi! My name is Lily, and my business partner is Lindsey. Together, we run Homesik Coffee, a coffee and matcha pop-up business based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Homesik started back in 2024 as a little idea between my cousin and me, but it didn’t officially become a business until December 2025 because we were both in school. Since then, we’ve been hosting pop-ups regularly, usually 2–3 times a month, with Vietnamese coffee and matcha as our specialties.
Originally, Homesik was created as a way for us to feel closer to home — Vietnam. But over time, it became something much bigger. We wanted to create a space where people could connect with one another, support local businesses, and have a place where young people feel encouraged to express themselves.
Lindsey and I both spent our childhoods in Vietnam, and Vietnamese coffee has always been one of those things that instantly reminds us of home. When we moved to Utah, we realized there weren’t many options for Vietnamese coffee, so we decided to bring it here ourselves. We’re also both huge matcha drinkers and are really passionate about finding and sourcing the best matcha we can. That’s how both Vietnamese coffee and matcha became such a big part of Homesik.
For our debut, we decided to host our very first market. Looking back, it was definitely an unconventional move for a new business, but it ended up being one of the best decisions we’ve made. We didn’t just want to introduce people to our drinks; we also wanted to create a space for young entrepreneurs and small local businesses to showcase what they do. Through that market, we got to connect with so many amazing vendors and share what Homesik truly stands for.
Our goal has always been to create a space where everyone feels welcome, connected, and a little closer to home. I think that’s what makes Homesik so special to us. Since then, we’ve had the opportunity to work with so many amazing local businesses and brands, and every pop-up has been meaningful in its own way.
What we love most about doing this is getting to meet new people, build connections, and see our community come together over something as simple as a cup of coffee or matcha. Seeing people enjoy our drinks and knowing that we’ve created something people want to come back to makes everything we do feel 10 times more worth it. We’re still growing and figuring things out along the way, but we’re so grateful for how far Homesik has come and excited to see where it takes us next.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road getting here. We’ve run into so many bumps along the way, and a lot of them have been financial, but honestly, running a business for the first time is just hard in general. Lindsey and I are learning everything as we go, from financial planning and marketing to sourcing, managing inventory, and handling all the behind-the-scenes work. We both have jobs outside of Homesik, so trying to balance everything while growing a business has been extremely challenging.
On top of that, Lindsey and I are cousins and best friends, so learning how to navigate a business together has been its own challenge. It’s not just about managing Homesik as a business, but also figuring out how to separate business from our personal relationship. We’re learning how to communicate, make decisions together, and navigate disagreements while still protecting the relationship we’ve had long before Homesik existed. It’s definitely a learning process, and we’re figuring it out as we go.
I feel like not a lot of people talk about the less exciting parts of owning a business, like dealing with licenses, permits, taxes, and all the little things that go into keeping a business running. It’s definitely not the fun part, but it’s something we’ve had to learn and figure out along the way. As much as it’s a blessing to have a business that people genuinely enjoy and to be doing multiple pop-ups a month, burnout is a real thing. Sometimes, it gets overwhelming trying to keep up with everything, especially when we’re still learning how to navigate it all. We’re still figuring out how to find that balance, take care of ourselves, and grow Homesik in a way that’s sustainable for both of us.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I think what makes Homesik special is that we’ve always wanted it to be about more than just coffee and matcha. Of course, we care deeply about the quality of our drinks, from our Vietnamese coffee to the matcha we source, but what matters just as much to us is the experience and community we build around them. Being Vietnamese and growing up in Vietnam, we wanted to bring a little piece of home to Utah through something that means so much to us. But along the way, Homesik has become a way for us to create that same feeling of home for other people, too.
One thing that makes us different is that we don’t just want to be a pop-up that shows up, sells drinks, and leaves. We want to be part of the community. From hosting markets that give young entrepreneurs a space to showcase their businesses to collaborating with local brands and meeting people from all walks of life, we want Homesik to be a place where people feel seen, welcomed, and connected. We’ve been fortunate enough to experience so much love and support from our community, especially during times when we really needed it, and we want to return that same energy however we can. At the end of the day, the drinks might be what bring people to our table, but we hope the connections, the people, and the feeling of being at home are what make them stay. Homesik has grown into something much bigger than we ever imagined, and we want to keep growing in a way that allows us to celebrate the people who have helped us get here.
What matters most to you?
I think what matters most to us comes down to two things: serving the highest-quality drinks we can and creating an inclusive space where everyone feels welcome. We’re always so grateful for the community we have around us, and more than anything, we want to find ways to celebrate and give back to the people who have supported us along the way. Our community showed up for us when we needed it most, and we honestly wouldn’t be where we are today without them. Homesik has grown into something so much bigger than what we originally imagined, and we know that wouldn’t have been possible without the people who continue to support us. That’s why we want Homesik to be more than just a place to grab coffee or matcha. We want it to be a space where people can connect, feel a sense of belonging, and support one another, just as our community has done for us.
Pricing:
- 6.25
- 7.25
- 7.75
- 8.25
Contact Info:
- Instagram: homesik_coffee
