Third Culture Bakery

Third Culture Bakery, home of the Original Mochi Muffin®, butter mochi donuts, and other foods and drinks inspired by their upbringing as Third Culture Kids — kids who grew up in a culture different than that of their parents.

After falling in love in Berkeley, CA, Chef Sam Butarbutar and Wenter Shyu started a bakery journey together, offering pastries reflective of their childhood in Indonesia and Taiwan. Third Culture Bakery started as a two-man-show in 2016, offering the Mochi Muffin® to just six wholesale coffee shops.

Their first year was crazy. While Wenter worked a full-time job, Sam worked in the kitchen full-time. Wenter would work 9am to 6pm, finish work, and then go to the kitchen to help Sam finish baking and dishwashing. Afterwards, the two would deliver to all the wholesale accounts at 2 or 3 in the morning, watching the sun rise on the freeway as they drove back home. The Mochi Muffin® quickly gained momentum and a cult following in the Bay Area, and a year later, the two were able to hire their first help. By 2018, the bakery had grown to over 60 wholesale locations with a team of 20+ full time bakers, managers, delivery drivers, and retail members.

Third Culture always leads with heart, kindness, and integrity. They instill this principle in everything that they do—every decision they make and every recipe they create. Sam and Wenter built their bakery from the ground up and took each step carefully and thoughtfully. They hope that the bakery becomes a symbol of diversity, inclusiveness, and acceptance. The bakery represents their chosen family, and they want everyone who walks through their doors to be part of their family. This bakery exists because of love, and they want to spread that love one Mochi Muffin® at a time.