The first K-pop store in San Francisco is Filipino-owned

Photo from saranghellosf/Instagram

K-pop group Enhypen recently released their special album memorabilia, “Dark Moon.” If you’re from the Bay Area, it’s now more convenient to get your copies.

The K-pop phenomenon has taken the world by storm. It’s not just about their music being played everywhere, but also about their official merchandise, which includes albums, posters, shirts and most importantly, photocards.

If you’re from the US, specifically in San Francisco, Filipino-owned “SarangHello” might just be your go-to K-pop haven. And yes, Enhypen’s “Dark Moon” is now available there.

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This Filipino-owned K-pop store was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic by Chesca Rueda and Kevin Teng, two immigrants from the Philippines, aiming to bring K-pop closer to Bay Area residents.

In an interview with KRON4, Rueda recounted how the idea of a K-pop store was born during the lockdown.

With Teng’s support, they initially launched “SarangHello” as an online store. The venture quickly gained traction and their first holiday pop-up event attracted daily lines of eager customers, highlighting the community’s demand for a dedicated K-pop space.

In the report, they shared that the success of the pop-up shop led to the establishment of a permanent storefront on Taraval Street in the Sunset neighborhood.

In their Instagram post for their fourth anniversary event, they wrote, “Thank you for supporting us on this amazing journey – from our first online orders and packing in our living room to the tiny popup in the old dentist’s office to our baby store on 27th where we could only fit a handful of people to our beautiful second home on 31st and Taraval – you all inspire us to want more for the Bay Area K-pop community.”

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Not just that, on May 25, the store offered more free boba and photocards, along with “SarangHello” tote bags for customers who spent $25 or more, while the anniversary sale was still ongoing.

So, if you still don’t have the official lightsticks of your favorite K-pop group, the store restocked them last week. With the sale currently on, now’s your chance to buy.