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Meet Local Hero Nominee: Wing Lam

Restauranteur, speaker, philanthropist and surfer, Wing Lam, serves as CEO of Wahoo’s Fish Taco and co-founded the global franchise brand in 1988 with his brothers. His most recent philanthropic project is California Love Drop.
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Wing Lam wears his brown hair long. In this photo, he is smiling at the camera. He is wearing a green t-shirt with the California flag on it.

Nominee Name: Wing Lam
Title: Co-Founder and CEO
Organization/Business: Wahoo’s Fish Taco
Project: California Love Drop Project
Website: California Love Drop Project Facebook Page
Nominators: Laarni Rosca Dacanay and Alexander C. Kim

“Wing Lam serves as CEO of Wahoo’s Fish Taco, founded in Costa Mesa, Califirnia in 1988 by Chinese Brazilian brothers Eduardo ‘Ed’ Lee, Renato ‘Mingo’ Lee and Wing Lam. What started as a single delivery of 300 meals from Wahoo’s Fish Taco to Hoag Hospital in Irvine, California on April 12, 2020, has turned into an astounding collaboration known as the California Love Drop, supporting and fueling healthcare workers and first responders from Los Angeles to San Diego.”

— Alexander C. Kim and Laarni Rosca Dacanay, Nominators

About Wing Lam

Restauranteur, speaker, philanthropist and surfer, Wing Lam, serves as CEO of Wahoo’s Fish Taco and co-founded the global franchise brand in 1988 with his brothers. Lam grew up in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, after his parents fled the Communists in China shortly after World War II. His father, a chef, moved the family to Orange County, to open up Shanghai Pine Garden restaurant. At 26, Lam left his corporate job and went to work with his younger brothers on what would become global franchise fast food casual restaurant Wahoo's Fish Taco. 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 Diabetic Research Foundation and Surfrider Foundation. Lam’s most recent philanthropic project, California Love Drop, started as a single delivery of 300 meals from Wahoo’s Fish Taco during the initial phase of the pandemic. California Love Drop has been able to partner with other organizations and businesses in the Southland, resulting in the delivery of over 11,000 meals at 61 different locations throughout L.A. and Orange Counties with plans to continue to applaud the courage of our frontline heroes.

More on Wing Lam


  • Watch Wing Lam deliver the California Love Drop's 100th delivery to healthcare workers in this Vimeo video.

  • Catch Wing Lam on 95.5 KLOS’ “Heidi & Frank Show” in the Facebook video below.

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