CHECKING IN WITH...MILLIE KIM:

The Camp, the alternative shopping center in Costa Mesa, recently ushered in a new addition with the opening of the milk+honey café this past Sunday. Owned by 28-year-old Jee Shin, milk+honey features a wide variety of drinks and snacks to go along with its outdoor patio. Manager Millie Kim sat down with the Daily Pilot to discuss the café’s recent opening and its goals in furthering healthy living and green-consciousness.

What is the main aim behind milk+honey?

We pretty much want it to be a place where people can relax and enjoy themselves sitting outside while listening to nice music and eating and drinking a good product. The main goal is to make the customers happy. If something’s not good, we can perfect it. Jee just wants it to be a place where people love to come and relax, knowing that they can get the same kind of product every time. It’s still a work in progress, but I think it’s all coming together.

Talk about the location. What do you think of the Camp?

This is the perfect place because the Camp wants to be different. They call themselves the anti-mall. [We’re] being more organic, green-minded, less typical and less of that corporate, chain feel. This is a really great location. They [neighboring stores] are really trendy, young hip spots.

The store has been open for less than a week. How have things run since the official opening on Sunday?

Father’s Day was pretty slow because people didn’t really know we were open…but definitely every day it gets better and better. People love the patio and the music and the ambience.

What are the difficulties that go into opening a shop like yours?

It takes a lot of time. It’s a lot of waiting around for other people to complete things, like health inspections. The difficulty is that there’s so much involved, you really have to be a calm person, which Jee is, and really be organized and motivated. She’s definitely motivated and a very hard worker.

What makes milk+honey unique?

Jee was trying to get away from the Starbucks feel. [It’s] definitely more personal. It has a more “mom and pop” feel while being health conscious and using as much organic product as possible. [It’s] just [about] being more homey and less corporate. In terms of hiring, we’re very strict about [hiring] employees who are focused on treating the customer right and being friendly and personable.

What are a few of the signature items on the menu?

Milk+honey shaved ice. It’s not on the actual menu, but we have it as one of those items that people talk about. It’s more of the traditional Asian style. Blended drinks are popular, but I think mostly the top items are the shaved ice and the organic teas.

Talk about the green-conscious menu and what milk+honey hopes to accomplish with it.

People come here because of those things. Health is such a huge thing right now, no matter what age you are. Being healthy ultimately can lead to happiness. It’s something everyone has to deal with: Everyone wants to live a good life. I’m not necessarily saying organic is going to cure all these things, but lack of chemicals and pesticides can help. We’re pro-making people healthy, living longer and being happier.