In Chinese culture, noodles are a symbol of longevity. Their elongated form represents a long, healthy life, and eating them (so the elders say) is how you achieve one. And we’re inclined to believe it, considering Wan Hua’s been successfully making, selling, and eating their own noodles for 30 years now, and there’s no noodle end in sight.
Noodling a new business idea, and how to make it work
Tony and Judy Tam’s noodle journey began in the 1980s, operating Chinese restaurants in Lake Stevens and Marysville. After a decade of slinging noodles, they decided to try their hand at manufacturing them. So, in 1992, Tony and Judy founded Wan Hua Foods, Inc. A company dedicated to using only high-quality ingredients to create delicious and versatile noodles for all kinds of dishes. From chow mein to yakisoba to spinach vegetable noodles, each perfectly crafted strand reflects the Tams’ dedicated care and decades of expertise.
But in every long story, there are bound to be wrinkles and setbacks. A few years after opening shop in 1999, the Tams ran into several bouts of bad luck. A warehouse next door was set on fire, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and about a month of halted production. They were forced to take out loans and put their own money into moving and restarting operations. They purchased their own building, built their own facilities, and with unyielding dedication and hard work, they overcame hurdle after hurdle.
Our local noodle heroes
Now, Wan Hua is the leading manufacturer of noodles in the Pacific Northwest, and we’re proud to stock their fresh, delicious, and longevity-inspiring noodles for all our PNW patrons.