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

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 come 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.

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