In a pale pink-painted shopping plaza building in Downtown Boca Raton is Long Story Short Cafe, with “Support your local caffeine dealer” plastered on the entrance window, welcoming locals and Florida Atlantic University students to try one-of-a-kind coffee drinks and pastries.

Long Story Short is located in Boca’s Mizner Park, which is about 10 minutes away from campus. Owner Lixii Sun says that a big part of its client base is made up of FAU students. They have a total of four baristas currently studying at the university, and the store offers 20% discounts for all students who come in.

The name “Long Story Short” reflects on little moments that people crave, says Sun, such as running into a friend and catching up by telling stories. 

“A breath in the middle of a crazy day, it’s just that connection,’’ Sun said. 

Businesswoman Sun took over the cafe from a previous owner who opened it in April 2021. She is also an FAU alumna and owns two other local businesses: Kixi Cafe and a sushi restaurant, Kanpai, all located within the Downtown Boca area. 

With a sushi spinning bar, Kanpai was opened in 2012 as Sun’s first vision of entrepreneurship at only 19 years old. The boutique brunch spot Kixi’s opened about 14 years ago, making Long Story Short Sun’s most recent project. 

The cafe is filled with aesthetic decor, such as plants and features a signature flower wall with a yellow neon light-up sign that reads  “Long Story Short” with, as well as rattan-style chairs that add a French bistro touch to the cafe’s cozy atmosphere. 

Sun enjoys adding her own touch of creativity and innovation not only to the store decor but also to the menu. 

Some of their most popular food menu items include their avocado on toast, the Egg Sammy sandwich, and their Asian Cubano sandwich.

For drinks, it’s often a tie between the tiramisu latte and their creme brulee latte, according to Sun. They use their own mascarpone cream and top it with cocoa powder and Ladyfingers cookies. For the creme brulee, they create their own foam topped with sugar that is bruleed using a torch to caramelize the sugar.

She mentioned how the range of popular coffee shop options in the area and different name-brand franchises are often the hardest parts of owning a small business. They stand out by making everything in-house as opposed to buying pre-made syrups like other shops, while also having seasonal menu options. 

“It’s like a playground and I do believe that food is the universal love language,” said Sun. 

While she’s still relatively new to Long Story Short compared to her other businesses, Sun says she has overcome many obstacles as a business owner for being a minority in a male-dominated industry. 

“Make sure you have consistency over perfection and don’t take into account what everyone else is saying as long as you believe in yourself. Having a good mentor and believing in yourself can give you so many shortcuts and help you out a lot,’’ Sun said, giving advice to anyone planning on opening up their own small business. 

Sun has felt like she constantly had to prove herself to be heard and had instances where customers would ask for the manager, and when she would come out, they would ask for her dad thinking she works for the family. Because of her Asian background, Sun says she looks younger than her age. She now takes it as a compliment rather than a negative remark. 

The most rewarding part of the job, however, is getting positive feedback from customers on the samples she invents before they are put on the menu. Sun looks back on her proudest moments and finds herself admiring her staff members’ growth. She has had most of her employees in all three of her companies since they were in high school and going off to college.

As some customers mentioned to Sun the cafe gives off homelike and cozy vibes, making them feel very welcome. Others use the cafe as a study spot to get work done and also grab a bite. 

This cafe has come up online for people who are searching for a trendy, cute cafe. Hailey Schimmer is an FAU freshman studying general business and recently spent her entire day at the cafe to study. 

“This is my first time coming here, and I have been here all day. I found this place when looking up coffee shops near me. I would recommend the LSS Acai Bowl and the Creme Brulee Latte,” she said while sharing another bonus: how close it is to campus and the affordable prices. 

Talissa Musumeci is a Boca resident who recently moved all the way from Canada. She found the cafe through Google Maps while exploring the area, and recently visited the cafe for the first time. 

“This cafe is super homelike and friendly, giving off a very warm feeling and a good environment to sit in,’’ Musumeci said as she picked up a turkey sandwich, along with an avocado toast with a friend.

Sun strives to treat each customer with compassion. As they come in and share stories about their day, their jobs, and their kids, she listens attentively. She believes it’s a way to build relationships and stay connected through the events and pop-ups they attend.

“I’m absolutely super grateful for the community; they have always shown so much love. The fun part about having a coffee shop is the regulars who become family,” said Sun. 

Faten Hamadna is a Contributing Writer for the University Press. For more information regarding this or other stories, email fhamadna2023@fau.edu.