Southwest cafe traces name, some art to 5-year-old taste-tester
Summer Chan’s fingerprints are all over a new coffee and dessert cafe. It features her name and a cartoonized version of her face as the logo, and she even picked out the artwork on one of the walls.
All that, and she’s only 5.
When Summer’s not in school, she can be found at the restaurant taste-testing her mother’s and grandfather’s kitchen creations, especially the sweets.
Her mother, 30-year-old Amanda Li, opened Cafe Summer in December with the help of her husband, who also owns a southwest karaoke bar called Viva Lounge. The cafe offers delicate coffee and tea, savory snacks, desserts and hot noodle and rice dishes.
She describes Cafe Summer as a fusion cafe.
“It doesn’t have to be Chinese food or Korean food,” she said. “Whatever’s good, we’ll bring it on the menu.”
Li, who became interested in pastries while in culinary school at the College of Southern Nevada, said she has always loved sweets — a craving she shares with her daughter and 20-month-old son Hayden.
She said she was inspired to open Cafe Summer after noticing that there weren’t many places in southwest Las Vegas for her to eat and hang out after work. The cafe is open from noon to 1 a.m. daily.
Li said she came up with the business idea about two years ago but was waiting for the perfect location. Cafe Summer, at 7965 S. Rainbow Blvd., Suite 110, is near two other pastry restaurants, Coco Donuts and Creamberry, which have opened in the past two months.
Amanda’s father, Sui Li, who was once a sushi chef at Green Valley Ranch Resort, quit his job to become the cafe’s head chef. He said the decision was easy because he wanted to support his daughter and challenge himself as a cook and try new things. He mostly specializes in the food, and Amanda covers the drinks and desserts.
The father-daughter duo are from Guangzhou, China, and have lived in Las Vegas for 17 years.
The cafe’s design is meant to create a casual and relaxing environment, Amanda said.
“I had so much passion that I wanted to share with people,” she said. “Before, I didn’t have experience and no places hired me, so I just decided to make my own place.”
To reach View intern reporter Kailyn Brown, call 702-387-5233 or email kbrown@viewnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KailynHype.
CAFE SUMMER
Address: 7965 S. Rainbow Blvd., Suite 110
Hours: noon to 1 a.m. daily
Contact: 702-826-3738
