Meet Tam & JT

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tam & JT and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tam & JT, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Back when we were in college, we’ve always had a dream of starting our own business one day. Initially, we wanted to do something food-related, such as operating a food truck or owning a restaurant. Towards the end of 2019, both of us were still working our full-time jobs, but we wanted to start the new year in a new direction.

We decided to revisit this dream of starting a business together. Outside of our full-time jobs, we were both developing our skills in t-shirt screen printing and food-inspired photography. This led us into our current business, which mixes fashion with food.

What should our readers know about your business?
We are The Hungry Sloth, a hat brand based out of San Jose, CA. From classic food items to nostalgic retro designs, our hat collection has something for everyone. One of our proudest aspects of our business is that our products can resonate with any individual.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If our best friend was visiting us in the San Francisco Bay Area, we would definitely start the day off with some coffee at Academic Coffee in San Jose. The owner, Frank Nguyen, is very knowledgeable with coffee making and an all around great guy. We recommend trying his exclusive Pandan Latte.

Afterwards, we would take a scenic trip to Half Moon Bay for sightseeing and visiting beautiful beaches. There is also a great spot called Half Moon Bay Brewing Company where we can grab a quick bite and delicious beer.

Towards the evening, we would take a stroll through Vietnam Town in San Jose and grab dessert at CA Bakehouse. They offer some of the best pandan waffles, egg tarts, and mochi cakes.

For dinnertime, if we have a big appetite, we can visit Goku San Jose for all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ.

For other places to visit throughout the week, we recommend the following:

Food:
– Santa Fe Taqueria (San Jose)
– Mexico Bakery (San Jose)
– New Pho Saigon Noodle & Grill (Milpitas)
– Pho Kim Long (San Jose)
– Duc Huong Sandwiches (San Jose)
– ShaQ (Santa Clara)
– Falafel’s Drive In (San Jose)
– Daeho Kalbi Jjim & Beef Soup (Milpitas)
– 99 Chicken (Santa Clara)
– ChiMek (Santa Clara)
– Kenny’s Cafe (Santa Clara)
– Chick N’ Bros (San Jose)
– The Garret (Campbell)
– Sen Dai Sushi (Milpitas)
– Sushi Tomi (Mountain View)
– Giorgio’s Italian Food (Milpitas)
– Zachary’s Chicago Pizza (Berkeley)
– Bill’s Cafe (San Jose)

Drinks:
– Barebottle Brewing Company (Santa Clara / San Francisco)
– IBU Taproom & Bottle Shop (Milpitas)
– St. John’s Bar & Grill (Sunnyvale)
– Big Mug Coffee (Santa Clara)
– Voyager Craft Coffee (San Jose)
– Nirvana Soul (San Jose)
– Lacàphê (San Jose)
– Tiger Tea & Juice (San Jose)
– Ume Tea (Milpitas)
– Urban Ritual (San Jose)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We would like to give a huge shout-out to our friends at Dango Products. They are a Bay Area-based company that specializes in everyday carry products. Without their influence and guidance, we would not be where we are today. We would also like to thank our close friends and families for always believing in us since the very beginning.

Website: https://www.thehungrysloth.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehungryslothco

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thehungryslothco

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thehungryslothco

Image Credits
Marcus Q. Silva Photography (Boba Hat, Camera Hat, Soju Hat)
Melina Bond-Hsu Photography (Ramen Hat)
Magie Hue (Pho Hoodie)