Nubchi Thao, The Brioche Lady, has opened with her husband the TBL Asian Market at Clovis and Ashlan avenues in Fresno. Facebook photo contributed

The Brioche Lady, who made a splash winning the People’s Choice Award at the 2017 Fresno Food Expo, is back with a new business.

Nubchi Thao, also known as The Brioche Lady, on Friday opened the TBL Asian Market at 4109 N. Clovis Ave. near Ashlan Avenue in Fresno.

Leng “Doc” Thao, physician, co-owner and husband of The Brioche Lady, said his mother was the couple’s inspiration to open a grocery store. He grew up working at his mother’s grocery store in Southern California, learning the art of customer service and management.

“What makes us different is the relationship that you have with the customer — I think that’s where you really will stand out,” Leng Thao said. “The nice thing is, because the store was much smaller, it was easier to know everybody. Pretty much everybody that came to the store, you knew.”

 

If social media following is any indication, Fresno’s foodie community knows The Brioche Lady well. Between Facebook and Instagram, the French bakery business has more than 15,000 followers.

Nubchi Thao was a stay-at-home mom when she started the business in 2015, baking the French, pastry-like bread in her home and selling it at local markets. The bread was a hit, garnering The People’s Choice Award for a purple yam brioche at the Fresno Food Expo. They opened their own storefront in 2019 at Herndon Avenue and First Street, electing not to renew their lease and closing in August 2021 in the midst of the pandemic.

Despite the closure, The Brioche Lady continued to offer her products at local events, including selling out at the most recent Big Hat Days in Clovis.

“The Brioche Lady and I are not bidding you farewell or goodbye,” the Thaos wrote in an Instagram post at the time. “We are grateful that you have been with us on this journey for many years and hope you will continue to travel with us for the next chapter.”

Leng Thao said they saw that opportunity in the former Golden Phoenix Asian Market.

“Sometimes, when you are able to survive the hard times, then that means you’re going to be able to thrive more easily in the good times,” Leng Thao said. “There are always pros and cons to starting a business at a particular time, depending if the economy’s in boom or recession.”

They also sought a more manageable work-life balance. He said at the bakery, they sometimes worked days and overnights without seeing their children. Nubchi Thao was pregnant with her ninth child when they decided to close the bakery temporarily.

He explained that brioche take hours to make and says it is like caring for a baby.

They learned some lessons from closing their French bakery, such as managing expenses.

They want to bring back the brioche, but they have yet to plan it and are focusing on opening the grocery store. However, they are excited about the store opening.

“Over the coming months, over the coming years, we’re going to learn and grow with the store,” Leng Thao said. “And we appreciate the patience of the public, and we always appreciate their support.”