LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As part of our continuing coverage of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we're looking at one of the fastest growing areas in Nevada.
Nearly half its population identifies as part of the AAPI community. Jaewon Jung shows us the booming Asia town growing in the southwest valley.
Every morning is busy for Grace Sugiarto. From brewing coffee to serving bread, there's a lot to do to run a bakery.
ALL ABOUT LOCATION
"Tous les Jours is a South Korean Bakery Chain. In the early 2000's the first store was open in America… and now I believe there are 90 stores in the whole U.S.," says Sugiarto.
She opened Nevada's first Tous les Jous on Rainbow and Windmill. She chose the location in the southwest valley on purpose.
"I noticed there's not many bakery options in Las Vegas. I mean it's quite concentrated which is mostly in Spring Mountain but other than that there's not many options. I reached out to them in late 2021… and I opened in December 2022," says Sugiarto.
And she isn't the only one setting up shop in the southwest.
"The Southwest valley is one of the fastest growing areas in town if not the fastest…almost 40% encompasses AAPI in this community currently," says Catherine Francisco, President of the Nevada AAPI Chamber of Commerce.
AAPI BUSINESSES
All along Rainbow, from Windmill and stretching past the 215, there are dozens of Asian American Pacific Islander owned businesses.
"From a boba place to a Korean bbq place," says Francisco.
She says there's a reason why people and businesses are settling here.
"The communities are beautiful, the accessibility to the freeway, the airport, to downtown Summerlin is very easy and therefore a lot of the aapi community is moving to this area," says Francisco.
Over at Fukuburger...
"Started as a food truck roaming around the streets of Spring Mountain and Chinatown," says Owner, Colin Fukunaga.
He's noticed the growth in the area for a while. He opened his first brick and mortar store on Spring Mountain and Jones in 2015. In 2018, he opened another location on Buffalo and Warm Springs.
"There's so much growth just in this little area. It's indescribable I don't even know what's going to happen in the future," says Fukunaga.
GROWING ECONOMY
Francisco says she has an idea of what the southwest will look like in a few years.
"It'll be full... and that's really a vision of a growing economy. Las Vegas is growing by leaps and bounds in this area. I feel the southwest is going to be remarkable when it comes to diversity," says Francisco.
She goes on to say, "Diversity in businesses, diversity in residential, and diversity in opportunity… I feel the southwest is going to be leading in that."
