Bowen Kou came to the United States from China in 2009 to attend Michigan State University, eager to learn and ready to work.

As a 19-year-old, Kou started a business buying and selling used books to other students.

Three years later, according to the Spartan Newsroom student newspaper, he was “famous among Chinese MSU students” because he’d bought a grocery store in East Lansing, the university’s home town. He told the student paper he’d saved enough from the book business that his parents agreed to provide the balance needed to buy purchase the store.

That store, which initially had three employees, eventually expanded to a chain with nine locations in seven states, and Fresh International Market now employs more than 500 people, Kou said.

“I really just wanted to seize the opportunity at the time. I didn’t know where the business was going, but I just had hope that it would succeed,” he said. “My hard work paid off but, at that time, I just wanted to have my own business.”

Nearly fifteen years later, Kou is living his “American dream” in Central Florida. A foray into state politics last year ended in frustration, but a separate business venture is also booming, as he and his wife prepare to open the latest in a series of bakeries at Orlando’s planned new H Mart, the first local outlet for the high-end Korean grocery chain.

Kou, who now lives in Horizon West, still runs the Asian food grocery stores. He and his wife, Hong, are also franchise owners of Paris Baguette stores, which sell cakes, pastries and other baked goods. They own stores in west Orange County, North Carolina and Texas, and the Orlando one is to open later this year.

In 2024, Kou ran for the Florida Senate as a Republican, hoping his business success and message about protecting the “American dream” would resonate with voters, he said.

Kou paid most of the bill for his first run for public office. His businesses generate $50 million in revenue annually, he said at the time, which allowed him to invest $1.2 million into his own campaign.

His run for office did not go well. During the GOP primary, his party sent out attack ads accusing him of accepting contributions from “Chinese donors” and wrongly profiting off the backs of foreign workers.

Kou was handily defeated by fellow Republican Keith Truenow in the August primary, in a district that included a slice of west Orange County and Lake County.

Since then, he and Hong said they’ve been questioned bout their American citizenship and have worried about a negative impact on their business.

That “false advertising” accused them of being members of the Chinese Community Party or “Chinese spies,” Hong Kou said. “That has had the biggest impact on our business because we’ve had customers come in ask if we’re a part of the CCP or if we’re owned by China.”

Kou had thought his business success and conservative views would be a good fit in the state Legislature and his district.

“I want to be here and protect the American dream, especially after I grew my business and learned to understand people working in the entry level,” he said. “That was the intent I had in coming out to run for state Senate.”

In June, Kou sued the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, which paid for the attack ads, alleging one sent to thousands of mailboxes was defamatory. That lawsuit is pending.

Though Bowen Kou has no plans to run for office again, “never say never” is their view, Hong Kou said.

Bowen Kou, a father of three, still has some extended family in China but said the United States is his home and where his loyalties lie now.

“My family is American, my businesses are in America and I have plans to stay in America because I don’t want to go anywhere else,” he added.

For now, both the Kous are focused on their newest business — the Paris Baguette store that will open on Colonial Drive next to the city’s first H Mart, the largest Asian supermarket chain in the United States.

H Mart and Paris Baguette both have South Korean origins and, Hong Kou said, many H Mart locations have a connected Paris Baguette store. That’s what the Kous are planning for the new H Mart complex at 7501 W. Colonial Drive. No opening date has been set.

“It’s a big deal for H Mart to come to Orlando,” she said. “We’re so grateful we can be part of the new location, and we’re really looking forward to it.”

The Kous’ bakery in Horizon West has plenty of fans.

The store features a massive glass case full of cake slices, croissant, donuts and tarts, black-and-white tile floors and woven rattan chairs, all designed to give the impression of a Paris cafe.

Maria Scandlen stopped by with her husband and appreciated the variety of baked goods.

“I like the different choices they have,” she said. “Because, for me, there’s a lot of things that I haven’t really seen before, and I like the fact that they have savory and sweet items.”

Orlando resident Chloe Laine used to live within walking distance of the store and said Paris Baguette, with its indoor and outdoor seating, was a regular hangout.

“I think it makes it feel like a vacation while you’re at home,” she said. “On my days off, I used to walk over from my apartment just to grab a bite to eat and sit outside.”

Hong Kou, also an immigrant from China, said running multiple businesses can be stressful but the couple also appreciate that they have “the life we wanted to achieve,” and they credit the United States for that.

“I don’t think there’s any country you can go to but America that can give people those types of opportunities to have a good life,” she said.

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