Bowen Kou came to the United States from China in 2009 to attend Michigan State University, eager to learn and ready to work.
As a 19-year-old, Kou started a business buying and selling used books to other students.
Three years later, according to the student newspaper Spartan Newsroom, he was “famous among MSU’s Chinese students” for buying a grocery store in East Lansing, the university’s hometown. He told the student newspaper that he had saved enough from the book business that his parents agreed to provide the balance needed to buy the store.
That store, which initially had three employees, eventually expanded to a chain with nine locations in seven states, and Fresh International Market now employs more than 500 people, Kou said.
“I really wanted to take the opportunity at the time. I didn’t know where the business was going, but I only had hope that it would succeed,” he said. “My hard work paid off but, at the time, I just wanted to have my own business.”
Nearly fifteen years later, Kou is living his “American dream” in Central Florida. A foray into state politics last year ended in disappointment, but a special business venture is also blossoming as he and his wife prepare to open the latest in a series of bakeries at Orlando’s planned new H Mart, period first local for the high market. bottom of the Korean food chain.
Kou, who now lives in Horizon West, still runs the Asian grocery store. He and his wife, Hong, are also franchise owners of Paris Baguette stores, which sell cakes, pastries and other baked goods. They own stores in west Orange County, North Carolina and Texas, and Orlando will open later this year.
In 2024, Kou ran for the Florida Senate as a Republican, hoping that his business success and his message of protecting the “American dream” would resonate with voters, he said.
Kou footed most of the bill for his first run for public office. His businesses generate $50 million in annual revenue, he said at the time, which allowed him to pour $1.2 million into his campaign.
His run for office did not go well. During the GOP primaries, his party sent out attack ads accusing him of accepting contributions from “Chinese donors” and wrongly benefiting from foreign worker wings.
Kou was handily defeated by fellow Republican Keith Truenow in the August primary, in a district that included parts of western Orange County and Lake County.
Since then, he and Hong said they have been questioned about their US citizenship and worried about a negative impact on their business.
That “false advertisement” accused them of being members of the Chinese Community Party or “Chinese spies,” Hong Kou said. “This has had the biggest impact on our business because we’ve had customers come in asking if we’re part of CCP or if we’re owned by China.”
Kou had thought his business success and conservative views would fit well in the state legislature and his district.
“I want to be here and protect the American dream, especially after growing my business and learning to understand the people who work at the entry level,” he said. “That was my goal in running for state Senate.”
In June, Kou sued the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, which paid for the attack ads, claiming one sent to thousands of mailboxes was defamatory. That lawsuit is pending.
Although Bowen Kou has no plans to run for office again, “never say never” is their view, Hong Kou said.
Bowen Kou, a father of three, still has extended family in China, but said the United States is his home and where his loyalties lie now.
“My family is American, my businesses are in America and I plan to stay in America because I don’t want to go anywhere else,” he added.
For now, both Kous are focused on their newest business — the Paris Baguette store to open on Colonial Drive next to the city’s first H Mart, the largest Asian supermarket chain in the United States.
H Mart and Paris Baguette both originated in South Korea, and, Hong Kou said, many H Mart locations have an affiliated Paris Baguette store. That’s what Kous is planning for the new H Mart complex at 7501 W. Colonial Drive. No opening date has been set.
“It’s a big deal for H Mart to come to Orlando,” she said. “We are very grateful to be a part of the new location and are really looking forward to it.”
Kous Bakery in Horizon West has many fans.
The shop features a massive glass case full of slices of cake, croissants, donuts and tarts, black and white tiled floors and woven rattan chairs, all designed to give the impression of a Parisian café.
Maria Scandlen stopped by with her husband and appreciated the variety of baked goods.
“I like the different choices they have,” she said. “Because, for me, there’s a lot of stuff that I haven’t seen before, and I like the fact that they have savory and sweet stuff.”
Orlando resident Chloe Laine used to live within walking distance of the store and said Paris Baguette, with its indoor and outdoor seating, was a regular hangout.
“I think it makes it feel like a vacation while you’re at home,” she said. “On my days off, I would leave my apartment just to grab a bite to eat and sit outside.”
Hong Kou, also an immigrant from China, said running multiple businesses can be stressful, but the couple also appreciates that they have “the life we wanted to achieve,” and they credit the United States for that.
“I don’t think there’s any place you can go, other than America, that can give people those kinds of opportunities to have a good life,” she said.
