Organic Asian grocery store to open June 4

May 23, 2023

Jo and Ti Richards, owners of Thai Cafe, stand behind the massive wooden counter at Bon Bon Asian Market in downtown Temple. Their new business launches June 4. The shop, which will feature organic Asian foods, cut flowers and beer, wine and saké, features wooden shelves, tables, benches and display cases designed by Jo and built by Ti. The Richards will be holding an open house at the new business tonight during the Imagine the Possibilities Tour. David Stone photo

Bon Bon Market among featured stops on tonight’s Imagine the Possibilities Tour

DAVID STONE | OUR TOWN TEMPLE

A new organic Asian grocery store that specializes in fresh food, locally grown produce, alcoholic beverages and cut flowers will open June 4 at 2 S Main Street.

Bon Bon Market is owned by Ti Richards, who also owns and operates Thai Cafe on Central Avenue in downtown Temple.

“We will be located on the ground floor of the building that houses The Book Cellar,” Richards said. “We will feature high quality food that is made fresh in our kitchen — we want to be a one-stop shop for Asian cuisine.”

“Ninety percent of our foods will be non GMO and organic,” he said. “We also will carry Asian beers, wines and saké. Plus we will be bottling our own sauces and cold-pressed juices, plus we will have noodles, tofu, cookbooks and prepared meals. We also can order fresh seafood such as salmon and tuna.”

Bon Bon Market will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“We likely will expand those hours in the future,” Richards said.

“We want to provide Temple with fresh foods that focus on health. Our prepared foods are made from scratch.”

The new Asian market will be one of 23 stops on Wednesday’s Imagine the Possibilities Tour, presented annually by the Temple Main Street Program. The tour will start at 5 p.m. and end about 8, and it will feature buildings that have been recently restored, will be restored or are in the process of being restored. Several downtown locations that are for sale or lease also will be on the tour.

One of the stops will be at Weird Doughs Cafe & Bakery, a business preparing to open on Sixth Street. According to co-owner Amber Hinkson-Lopez, the bakery likely will open the first or second week in June.

In addition to tasty treats and sandwiches with a twist — peanut butter and jalapeño jelly, for instance — Weird Doughs also will feature a gallery displaying the work of local artists.

“We will be holding an open house during the Imagine the Possibilities Tour so people can see the progress before opening day,” she said.

Tour participants may start at any of the locations and there will be simultaneous open house receptions at the designated stops. The receptions give business and building owners a chance to showcase current and future plans.

When guests arrive at a tour stop, they can pick up a self-guided map they can use to navigate to the buildings they find the most interesting. Santa Fe Depot has been designated as the tour’s starting point, however guests may start at a stop of their choosing.

According to Kelleher, the Imagine the Possibilities Tour is part of Temple’s community celebration of National Historic Preservation Month and helps draw public attention to the importance of preserving historic buildings.

Here’s a glimpse of this year’s tour destinations:

First Christian Church, 300 N Fifth.
A’Lisa Ozment plan review, 315 N Third.
Melody’s, 116 S First.
Lenna Lane, 118 S First.
Hat Tricks Sports Bar, 217 N Main.
Lagniappe, 111 N Main.
KPA Engineers, 19 N Main.
Travis Wilkes, 9 N Main.
Bon Bon Asian Market, 2 S Main.
Ryan Flores, 120 S Main.
Chupacabra Fitness, 201 S Main.
Main Street Design & Consign, 204 S Main.
Kids R Us, 204 S Main.
White’s Daycare will be set up at 204 S Main although new business will be at 317 N Second.
Precious Memories, 17 N Second.
Hawn Plaza, 3 N Second.
Bird Creek Burgers & Brew, 8 S Fourth.
Vacant space, 12 S Fourth.
Wreck Center & The Art Dept., 14-16 S Fourth.
Weird Dough’s Cafe & Baker, Sixth Street.
Temple Public Library, 100 W Adams.
Temple Daily Telegram Print Shop, 315 W Central.
Mo’s Bar & Grill, 8-10 W Avenue B.

All locations are open to the public and will be marked with red balloons.

Making progress

A worker unloads cut stone bricks that are being used on the outside of the new First Street Parking Garage in Temple. The garage is one of three parking garages going up in Temple. The Fourth Street Parking Garage is nearing completion along Central Avenue between Fourth and Sixth streets, and a new garage also is being constructed at the Olin E. Teague Veterans Center. David Stone photo