Wing Lam, Ed Lee, Mingo Lee
CO-FOUNDERS
WAHOO’S FISH TACO
WAHOO’S FAMILY FOUNDATION
WHO: Brothers Wing Lam, Ed Lee and Mingo Lee opened the first Wahoo’s Fish Taco location in Costa Mesa in 1988. The restaurant chain has grown to more than 60 locations throughout California, Colorado, Texas, New Jersey, Nevada and Japan. Brothers are also co-founders of many other OC restaurant ventures such as Toast Kitchen & Bakery in Costa Mesa and Tustin, Fill Bakeshop and Tableau Kitchen and Bar.
WHY: The brothers give individually and through the Wahoo’s Family Foundation to multiple local organizations. Wing Lam actively supports many national and local community-based events and serves as a board member of various nonprofit organizations, including Share Our Strength, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Surfrider Foundation. Lam also co-founded the California Love Drop initiative to deliver food to healthcare workers and first responders during the pandemic. The deliveries have gone to several local families and organizations from Los Angeles to San Diego, including CHOC Children’s Hospital, UCI Medical Center, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian and numerous police stations and firehouses.
IN THE NEWS: California Love Drop partnered with the Extraordinary Lives Foundation in May to bring food to families part of the Illumination Foundation’s “stable housing” program.
NOTABLE: Lam has helped deliver more than 17,500 meals through 191 “love drops” alongside 82 different companies. California Love Drop now works directly with kids, families and veterans to deliver school supplies, technology, toiletries, meals and more.
IN THEIR WORDS: “What started as a food delivery of gratitude to healthcare workers during the pandemic has become an ongoing mission to show our appreciation for frontline heroes and our respect for those in need through the donation of food and other necessities. Our team is deeply passionate about giving back to the community and being part of a network that serves the needs of many deserving organizations.” —Wing Lam
LEARN MORE: californialovedrop.org
