NINAO pan bakery | Office | USM Modular Furniture

NINAO Group is a Taiwanese company that has revolutionised the art of gelato making. Founded by Yu Lee, a visionary entrepreneur who was inspired by his travels to Italy, NINAO Group combines Italian techniques with Taiwanese flavours to create gelato that reflects the culture and identity of the island. Using fresh and natural ingredients from various regions of Taiwan, they collaborate with local farmers and artisans to promote sustainable and ethical practices. NINAO Group has expanded into Japan opening NINAO gelato and won several international awards for its ice cream.

Yu Lee has opened NINAO pan (meaning bread) in Tainan, a bakery that specialises in bread and pastries. He wanted a unique furniture solution for the bakery, and reached out to Raytext, USM sales partner. They visited Yu at NINAO pan and saw a long queue of customers waiting to taste his delicious creations.

I miss those days when Mum and I would drop in at the bakery for a snack and breakfast after school. I usually finished my snack while sitting on my mum’s motorcycle. Growing up, I noticed traditional bakeries were closing one after another, especially during Covid. I can hardly find Taiwanese bread, my childhood favourite, in the new trendy bakeries! This made me determined to step up NINAO pan to taste nostalgia.

I’m happy to have world baking champion Chef Justin Wu & baking expert Chef Lin on my team! We brainstormed on our secret recipes, which only uses quality ingredients. To ensure each type of bread tastes the best and is cooked at the right temperature and the right amount of time, we tested and found only a vintage oven meets our standards. Instead of a fully automatic oven, our experienced chefs have full control with the vintage one. After 9 months of trial runs, NINAO pan was officially launched in March 2023!

Before I started NINAO, I was in the furniture business. Since then, I have known about USM. Its sleek appearance stayed with me. When I looked for a TV unit, the timeless look of USM popped into my mind.

"I realised USM can be redesigned according to each stage of my needs. How sustainable!"

My first piece of USM was a TV unit and I had a bold idea for my second piece: ruby red for NINAO pan!

I extensively researched the history of Japanese and Taiwanese bread culture and red continued to pop-up. Therefore, the logo and shop name are printed everywhere in red. Red is also considered auspicious in Chinese culture. Since NINAO pan focuses on traditional Taiwanese breads, red is the perfect fit!

Flexibility! I made the right decision choosing USM over regular woodwork. It is worth the value! I prefer to start with large units, to have an abundance of components and play around with my ideas.

"If I need to change anything, I can convert my USM counter and display unit into side tables, sideboards, and shelves."

Another feature I love about USM is its sleek look and USM ruby red received extra attention when customers came to NINAO pan. It sends a message that we only use the best, which is a plus for my brand. I’ll stick with USM ruby red for my second NINAO pan in Taichung and pop-up events!

I saw all the balls, tubes, and panels on site, thinking the assembly might take days. But it’s done in less than 1 day!

"During our soft open, I noticed customers flocking at the glass display area next to the door which slowed service. I called the USM expert to move the glass area to the other side and they arrived and completed it within 2 hrs."

If I chose regular woodwork for my counter, it definitely would've been a bigger job to make adjustments. I’m glad that I chose USM and met Raytext. Right decision!