Meet Trajan Pei | Owner/Founder of TropiTai Delights

We had the good fortune of connecting with Trajan Pei and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Trajan, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
To be honest, I think since starting this business there hasn’t really been much of a balance. The majority of my time has been consumed by work. I have rarely had any time off, and I work way more than full time hours. I’d say more of the attempts in balance have been in prioritizing different tasks for the business; which has been difficult to accomplish as a sole business owner and with so much that needs to get done. Time and time again, I feel as though I must put my mental and physical health on the backburner.

I am really hoping that it all works out, and the sacrifice is worth it.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I founded TropiTai Delights, a Taiwanese / Hawaiian dessert shop located in Lakewood, CO. As of right now, it is just boba and Taiwanese shaved ice, but I plan to have some more releases later this year! I am still very early on in the business. My grand opening was on March 1st earlier this year, but it has been in the works since December 2023. This has definitely been the hardest thing I have ever done in my life as 22 year old college dropout. Many relationships have been strained, mental and physical health has been sacrificed in hopes to build something great. The lows are low and the highs aren’t that high quite yet, all I can do is tell myself to just get through one more year, one more day, one more hour, one foot in front of the other, trusting that one day I’ll see the harvest of my hard work…

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I feel like as the owner of TropiTai Delights, I have a responsibility to say that TropiTai Delights will be the best shaved ice they can get in Colorado.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Growing up, I was never really close with my father. However, since starting the business I have gotten a lot closer with him and he has been very supportive. I also want to thank all of my friends that have supported me throughout all this time, whether that be help with labor needs, or just lending me an ear.

Instagram: @tropitai

Yelp: TropiTai Delights

Image Credits
Micky Wu