>>> MAY IS AAPI HERITAGE MONTH AND WE ARE USING THIS TIME TO PROFILE SOME OF THE UNIQUE ASIAN AND PACIFIC-ISLANDER-OWNED BUSINESSES THAT MAKE OUR AREA SO UNIQUE. TONIGHT, TAKES US TO A SAN FRANCISCO CHINA TOWN CAFE WHERE THE BAKING IS DONE WITH HEART. >> HELLO. >> Reporter: THERE IS A CAFE IN SAN FRANCISCO'S CHINA TOWN, WHERE THE SMELL OF BAKED GOODS GREETS YOU EVEN BEFORE OWNER HANNA ZANG. >> HELLO. >> WHEN SHE IS NOT GRATING CUSTOMERS IN THE FRONT OF I CAFE. ZANG CAN BE FOUND IN THE KITCHEN WHIPPING UP THE SPECIALTIES OF HER NATIVE CHINA, CHANNELING HER FIRST-COOKING TEACHER. >> MY GRANDMA. >> Reporter: CUSTOMERS LINE UP FOR PORK BUNS AND EGG CUSTARDS. >> EGG CUSTARD IN CHINA TOWN. >> HER SPECIALTY? TRADITIONAL RICE AND PORK WRAPPED IN BAMBOO LEAVES. THOUGH, ZANG HAS AN EASY WAY WITH HER CUSTOMERS, HER WAY HAS NOT BEEN EASY. SHE CAME TO THE U.S. IN 2013 TO PURSUE A DREAM OF OWNING A CAFE. THAT DREAM WAS HELPED ALONG WITH HER BUSINESS PARTNER, NOBU CHU. EY TOOK OVER THE CAFE ON WAVEERLY PLACE. CANCER HAD DEVASTATED CHU. >> LAST YEAR, IN 2020, IN APRIL, HE PASSED AWAY. >> Reporter: ZANG'S REALITY APPEARED THROUGH A STEAMING HAZE. SHE WAS A YOUNG, SINGLE WOMAN WITH LIMITED ENGLISH. SUDDENLY, THE SOLE PROPRIETOR OF A BUSINESS, CURRENTLY, SHUT DOWN IN A PANDEMIC. SHE THOUGHT ABOUT GIVING UP. BUT LAST JULY, THE OVENENS FIRED UP, ONCE AGAIN, ZANG DECIDED TO GIVE BUSINESS A GO, ALONE. ONLY, SHE WASN'T REALLY ALONE. >> MANY PEOPLE SURROUNDED ME, GAVE ME ENCOURAGEMENT. GIVE ME SUPPORT. >> Reporter: SHE GOT BACK TO BAKING WITH CHU'S MEMORY AS INSPIRATION. >> I FEEL LIKE I WANT TO GIVE IT A TRY BY MYSELF, WITH THE SPIRIT OF -- WORKXTREMELY HARD. >> Reporter: THOUGH, BUSINESS HAS YET TO RETURN TO CHINA TOWN, I CAFE IS BUSTLING. REGULARS REUNITING OVER COFFEE AND PASTRIES. >> STRONG LADY, YOU KNOW? SHE WANT TO BUILD UP -- BUILD UP THE BUSINESS, YOU KNOW? IT'S NOT EASY. >> IT'S NOT EASY BECAUSE ZANG WAS TURNED DOWN FOR GOVERNMENT-PANDEMIC AID. SO SHE MAKES UP FOR IT WORKING 14-HOUR DAYS. >> I STILL HAVE HOPE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE WILL OVERCOME THIS. MY -- MY TWO HANDS TO WELCOME MY CUSTOMER. >> WITH OPEN ARMS AND A CASE FULL OF PASTRIES, IT WOULD SEEM ZANG IS SPREADING CHINESE ICING ON THE
