New business district established in East San Jose as shopping center makes comeback

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) — This week San Jose voted to move forward with a plan to establish a new business district.

On Saturday, Cafes Quan, held their grand opening at Lion Plaza in East San Jose, bringing new energy to a decades-old shopping center.

Windy Trinh is the manager and owner of Cafes Quan. Trinh’s husband is a well-known artist from Vietnam.

“Our hope is not only to our business but to help out other business owners in the plaza. So we can bring the vibe back,” Trinh said.

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Trinh said the shopping center off Tully Road was once a central market for the Vietnamese community and she believes it has the potential to be the hub it once was.

“To get more people to come back like before like 10-20 years ago,” Trinh said.

Around the corner, Christina Bui and her mother have owned Love Me Knots Bridal at the shopping center for 35 years.

“As a second-gen here, I was trying to retire my mom, and you know the day I left it to go get married and have my family and the day I came back nothing had really changed,” Bui said.

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Bui said during the pandemic many of the small businesses suffered. It was during that time the city’s Office of Economic Development allocated funding to those willing to start a business association. Bui then helped create the Tully Road-Eastridge Business Association, or TREBA for short.

“I felt like we were bringing people together and having actually a voice, a common voice,” Bui said.

The corridor includes around 550 businesses. Already the association has received $50,000 in city grants. On Tuesday, the San Jose city council moved forward to officially establish TREBA as a new business district.

“Knowing that we’ll be fiscally sustainable, for the year, and knowing that it’s going to be paying for cleanliness, safety, beautification and events, my mind is blown,” Bui said.

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During the last weekend of September, the association will be holding its very first ‘Tully East Festival,’ with food, art and entertainment.

“We’re all special, and people need to know that,” Bui said.

Two meetings for community feedback will be held this fall.

San Jose resident Van Nguyen said she’s been coming to Lion Plaza since 1994. She considers the center a special place to hang out with friends.

“We have shopping center, we have dancing at night, and bakery and you know all kinds of coffee,” Nguyen said.