DestinationEatEast Pasadena

Dots Cafe

3819 E Colorado Blvd, East Pasadena, CA 91107

Why go

Neighborhood café where comfort meets charm, serving breakfast, lunch, desserts, pastries, coffees, and cupcakes.

Official site, hours and details

How to get there

Open in Maps Ask Koli

The story

About Dots Cafe

The inspiration

Dots Cafe grew out of a cupcake shop that Hailey Kwon opened in 2006, with the aim of creating a place where people could celebrate special moments together¹ . The cafe itself came from a vision of a community restaurant in East Pasadena, where neighbors could sit down for food and dessert rather than just grab a box of sweets^1,2 . When the pandemic made shared meals harder, Kwon started family dinners so households could still pick up wholesome, from-scratch meals² .

Who's behind it

Founder and owner Hailey Kwon started Dots Cupcakes with no money and no baking experience, after a career in event management with the Dodgers^2,3 .

What to order

Popular dish

Breakfast^2,3

the cafe was opened specifically as a place to sit down and eat in the morning, with bowls and sandwiches alongside .

Fried tamale bites: described by the venue as one of its signature snacks .³

Why you should try it

For a visitor staying nearby, Dots offers a sit-down breakfast or lunch plus from-scratch cupcakes in one easy stop on East Colorado Boulevard^3,2 .

Sources

1. East West Bank Reach Further (opens in a new tab): Dots Cupcakes: How a First Business Achieved Sweet Success (Jun 30, 2016)
2. Pasadena Weekly (opens in a new tab): Dots finds happiness in cupcakes (Nov 23, 2021)
3. East West Bank Reach Further (opens in a new tab): A Café of Her Own: How Dots Cupcakes Founder Expanded Her Business (Apr 26, 2018)

TravelHere Passport · coming soon

Soon: get stamped for going there.

We're building a Passport: visit a destination, text Koli a photo from the spot, and collect a stamp toward Koli merch. It isn't live yet, so nothing is earned today.

About the Passport

More around East Pasadena

More places in and around East Pasadena.

All East Pasadena destinations

California Cactus Center
See · East Pasadena
Cottage Treasures Mercantile
Do · East Pasadena
Michillinda Park
See · East Pasadena
Pasadena Greek Festival at Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church
Do · East Pasadena

Where this destination comes from

Address checked: Oct 17, 2026, source (opens in a new tab). Hours and prices change, so check before you go.
See something wrong? Text Koli or email [email protected].

Destination of the Day

A new place every day.

See today's destination

Ask Koli

Koli from TravelHere replies by text. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help.

Passport stamps: coming soon