Our Story

Rosie Nguyen- Founder, Head Chef, Co-Owner

Rosie Nguyen is the founder, co-owner, and executive chef of Rose Ave Bakery in Washington, DC. She spent 10 years as a pediatric nurse and self-taught herself the skills of cooking, baking, and recreating Vietnamese dishes from her memories. After years of side jobs in the industry, including a dessert catering gig, she left her role as a registered nurse to start the Asian American bakery of her dreams, right at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. She persevered and grew the little bakery counter into a standalone flagship cafe in Woodley Park, DC. Rose Ave Bakery is DC's first Asian American bakery and Rose continues to combine Asian flavors and ingredients into familiar pastries and sweets. Always sweet, but not too sweet. 

Rose Ave Bakery opened its doors to downtown DC in a food hall on Wednesday, March 11th, 2020. On that same day, the World Health Organization declared an international emergency of the Covid-19 pandemic. The city went into lockdown and quarantine. As countless food businesses were forced to shut down and make difficult decisions, Rosie made the choice to open back up, 2 months into quarantine, as an online preorder operation on her own and to slowly bring back the team, one by one. The team has been growing ever since.

Paula Wang- Co-Owner, CFO, Director of Operations

Paula was one of the first bakers and employees to be hired during the start up/pop up days. 

In 2017, she officially quit her desk job to attend L’Academie de Cuisine only to find out that the school would be closing two weeks before the start of her program. Without the technical background that she hoped to receive from attending pastry school, she took matters into her own hands: bought herself cookbooks, started baking every day she could, and reached out to bakeries.

In 2018, she came to work at Rose Ave as one of two bakers to help Rosie launch Rose Ave. Paula has grown in many ways in her journey and has helped the company grow and build the foundation it needed. She is the rock of Rose Ave and is always cool, calm, organized and empathetic to the team and their needs. Paula saw the potential of Rose Ave and has become co-owner and partner and director of operations (and everything in between). 

Our Mission

Rose Ave Bakery is DC’s first modern Asian American bakery. It was created to reflect the palate of Asian Americans and to share knowledge, culture and asian flavors to all. What started as a way for Rosie to express her creativity has become a place for others to collaborate and push the limits for Asian pastries to be fun, delicious and fresh; all while supporting and uplifting each other and the community.

The Meaning Behind “Rose Ave”

Rose Ave Bakery carries deep personal significance for Chef Rosie, weaving together meaningful aspects of both her own heritage and her husband's memories. The name “Rose” honors Chef Rosie's Vietnamese roots and a sponsor, with the same name, who helped her parents as refugees after the Vietnam War. The name represents a symbol of compassion and new beginnings.

And Rose Ave refers to the street where her husband, Jay, grew up in San Jose, CA, evoking fond childhood memories. Drawing the heartfelt connection between her husband’s childhood and the significance of her name, the bakery is not just a business but a destination that symbolizes happiness and unity. It embodies the intersection of cultures, and a shared desire to create a place where people can come together and enjoy something meaningful and delicious!

In essence, Rose Ave Bakery isn’t just about baked goods; it’s about the blending of memories, heritage, and creating a safe space for the community.