Inspiring Conversations with Trajan Pei of TropiTai Delights

Today we’d like to introduce you to Trajan Pei.

Hi Trajan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
With a mother raised in Taiwan, a father raised in Hawaii, and me being raised away from both, I didn’t feel like I truly belonged to either. I’d mention elements, foods, experiences from cultures people didn’t understand. Cultures I didn’t totally understand. I was always being told that I’m not Taiwanese enough, not Chinese enough, not American enough. So I finally decided to build something that I could share with others that is wholeheartedly, unapologetically me.

When you come in, you’re not just supporting another small business—you’re supporting my dream, my journey, and a story that’s been years in the making. Every malasada, shaved ice, and boba drink is a piece of that story.

Even though we’re still just a local, small business, there have been some highs and definitely a lot of lows. To be completely honest, how I got to this point is not an easy story for me to tell.

Originally, it was my mom’s idea to open a Taiwanese, Hawaiian restaurant / cafe. Initially, I only wanted to get involved so I could learn the business and marketing side of things. I went in thinking “I know working with her will be difficult, but surely things have changed after all this time. Surely, we can come together for this. I may never have another opportunity like this.” So right there and then December 2023 in my childhood home, we decided to take the leap.

Previously, I was studying computer science at CU Boulder and in August 2024 going into my fourth year, I dropped out. I realized that college was painting a path that I didn’t want to take. I went in to computer science thinking of it as the safe secure route, and nowadays it’s hard not to see how much that statement has changed. At this point, I was doing so much more than just handling the business and marketing side of things, I had to be all in, and there was no way I’d be able to take on school and the business at the same time.

A couple of months later, in December 2024. After all this time working with my mother, the arguments saw no end, and it felt like she was unwilling to learn, to understand, to compromise with my point of view. Now stack that on top of the criticism from my peers and the people projecting their doubts, their regrets; I had never felt so alone, so empty, so unsure of the path I chose. The last straw had already been drawn. So, hands trembling, I called my mom and said“Either I need to back away from this completely, or I need you to let me do this on my own”.

Not without a fight, she reluctantly transferred full ownership to me. After that day, I was finally free to work on the business without friction, without arguments, without her.

From the start, I wanted to build something that feels genuine. I’m sick of all of these companies feeling very corporate, very salesy, and the last thing I want to do, is to just hop on trends for the sake of being “trendy”. I want to build something that you can be apart of. Somewhere where you can really see the impact of your support.

Although I don’t exactly know where this path may lead, I know why I started — and I’m not stopping anytime soon. no matter how many broken machines, how many sleepless nights… I just want to make this work. Not driven by the willingness to keep going, but the refusal to give up. I’m proud to open my doors everyday just so you can be apart of my story. If you’ve read this far, thank you. Your support means more than you know.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not. There has so much that I have had to learn along the way and cash flow has been a constant stressor. Everyday, in the back of my mind the business feels like a ticking bomb, either I figure out next steps or I run out of capital. Stack that on top of the burden and responsibilities of leading my team, providing them jobs, and not letting the capital go to waste; as well as the constant criticism of others and being solely responsible for the success of the business. There will always be obstacles and road blocks to get in the way of my plans, but being able to adapt- that’s the name of the game.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about TropiTai Delights?
TropiTai Delights located on 98 Wadsworth Blvd Ste 122, Lakewood CO 80226, is a dessert shop that sells Taiwanese Shaved ice, Boba drinks, and malasadas. It all started to build something that I could share with others that is wholeheartedly, unapologetically me. From the start, I wanted to build something that feels genuine. Not a company that comes off as corporate or salesy. The last thing I want to do is hop on trends for the sake of being “trendy”. I want to build something that you can be apart of. Somewhere where you can really see the impact of your support. The official date in operations was February 23, 2025 and the grand opening on March 1st, 2025. The business was founded by Trajan Pei, a 21 year old college dropout. Specifically, TropiTai Delights is a Taiwanese / Hawaiian Dessert Shop that serves Taiwanese shaved ice, Boba drinks, and malasadas (a Portuguese donut that is popular in Hawaii). The malasadas are a fairly unique pastry that most have not tasted in Colorado. The shaved ice has a very unique texture and taste unlike anything most people have tasted as well, and the pricing is designed to encourage people to share.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
I have friends who I could not do this without them. Although most may not be able to help with the decision making of the business, it is nice to have people that I know will support me until the day I die.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tropitai.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tropitai/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tropitai
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tropitai-delights-lakewood-2
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@tropitai

Image Credits
Micky Wu, @mickyy.wu on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mickyy.wu?igsh=amp6cGY1Z2Eycmk1