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Our Story
Bafang Dumpling’s story starts with our founder, Mr. Lin, and his wife.
Mrs. Lin was a math teacher at the time, and their home was always bustling about with students. Though they didn’t have a lot, they always found a way to feed and nourish these students.
Potstickers were a favorite – a crunchy bottomed dumpling filled with flavorful meat and veggies. Who could resist?
In 1998, while Mr. Lin was struggling financially as a mechanic, he thought back to the students.
He remembered how potstickers not only provided nourishment, but they also brought the kids so much joy. Smiles beaming over the steaming potstickers. With the mindset to create a better life for his family and his community, he opened the first Bafang Dumpling store in Taiwan–specializing in potstickers.
Over the years, Mr. Lin’s friends, employees, and customers were inspired to become small business owners. He welcomed the opportunity to invite new franchise partners, and the journey of Bafang Dumpling franchise took off. Now, Bafang Dumpling has over 1,100 stores in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.
On September 2021, Bafang Yunji Foods-the restaurant group of Bafang Dumpling–is now a publicly traded company in Taiwan. As the leading company of fast foods in Taiwan, the vision and the culture of the company and stores remains. To nourish, grow, and build together as a community.
Eater San Diego Article
by Helen I. Hwang Feb 8, 2023, 9:18am PST
Bafang Dumpling will serve its signature dumplings, potstickers, noodles, and other Taiwanese specialties
The largest Taiwanese dumpling maker, Bafang Dumpling, has confirmed to Eater that it will be opening its first San Diego restaurant at the Village at Mira Mesa before the end of the year. Its corner storefront will be part of the retail center’s new expansion area (where Crumbl Cookies is already located) near the intersection of Mira Mesa Boulevard and Reagan Road.
After conquering Asia, where it has nearly 1,300 locations in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China and sells 1.2 billion dumplings each year, Bafang is setting its sights on growing its U.S. market with ambitions to make it bigger than its Hong Kong presence.
Bafang founder Jiayu Lin was a struggling mechanic while his wife was a math teacher who had students coming to their home for tutoring where they made potstickers for the kids, a popular afternoon snack, before buckling down to study. The first Bafang Dumpling restaurant opened in 1998, expanded to Hong Kong in 2008, and launched in China in 2014. Last year, the company went public on the Taiwanese stock market.
Ringing in at 3,000-square-feet, the San Diego restaurant “will be bigger than our City of Industry restaurant with more seating since we’ll have more space,” Stephanie Peng, CEO of Bafang Yunji North America, told Eater over a phone call. The chain made its stateside debut in March 2022 with a restaurant in the San Gabriel Valley and opened a second SoCal store last month in Chino Hills. “Our team is really excited. It’s such a great area and great community. We’re happy that Mira Mesa will be home to our first store in San Diego,” said Peng.
The menu will be the same as the Los Angeles area outposts, featuring specialties like its signature boiled dumplings filled with pork and cabbage, corn and chicken, or kimchi and pork, as well as the Bafang pork chop, a popular Taiwanese breaded pork cutlet. Other favorites include griddle-fried potstickers, Taiwanese beef noodle soup, and old-fashioned noodles, which are bouncy QQ noodles dressed with soy sauce and shallot oil. Drinks range from boba tea to mango soy milk.
There are also combo meals, which include iced lemon black tea or a cup of hot and sour soup, corn chowder soup, or mini wonton soup. “The combinations are easy for the customers to sample what our specialties are,” said Peng.
“We want to be able to offer authentic Taiwanese comfort food, like potstickers, dumplings, and noodles. Our aim is to deliver high-quality food that’s easy and convenient at affordable pricing,” said Peng. “We hope to go in offering a different style of food than burgers, pizzas, and tacos.”
While its North American headquarters and central kitchen will remain based in Irvine, Bafang has set a goal of opening 10 more U.S. stores by the end of 2023. “We’re vigorously expanding, focusing on Southern California because of its diversity,” added Peng.
While 85 percent of their stores in Asia are franchised, the first batch of U.S. Bafang restaurants is all corporate-owned. There will be opportunities for franchisees to expand across the country as Bafang establishes firm footing on this side of the Pacific.
What Now San Diego Article
https://whatnowsandiego.com/bafang-dumpling-planning-first-san-diego-location/
Bafang Dumpling looks to be heading to San Diego next as they continue plans to expand in Southern California. According to real estate intel acquired by What Now San Diego, the potsticker specialists will place their first San Diego spot at the Village at Mira Mesa Shopping Center. According to the Village’s site plans, Bafang Dumpling’s 3,080 square-foot space will neighbor the upcoming Shawarma Guys location.
With almost 1,300 locations in Taiwan and China, the Taiwanese company opened their first US location in City of Industry earlier this Spring with the intention of bringing additional restaurants to Los Angeles and Orange County.
The restaurant offers combo meals to try their potstickers and dumplings in Bafang Signature (pork and cabbage), Kimchi and Pork, or Corn and Chicken flavors, alongside Hot and Sour Soup or Corn Chowder, or with an Iced Lemon Black Tea. Also on the menu you’ll find a variety of noodle dishes, Chili Pepper Fried Chicken, and tea lattes, Matcha drinks, and boba beverages.
What Now San Diego reached out to Bafang Dumpling CEO Stephanie Peng for more information on their Southern California expansion and will continue to update with opening news. Get to know Bafang Dumpling by visiting their Website and follow on Instagram for more information.