Laoban Dumplings
Dumpling restaurant · Capital City Market ·
Dumplings, bao buns, and frozen options available
Dumplings, bao buns, and frozen options available
"Union Market’s go-to stall for pork soup dumplings and Beyond Meat wontons comes from chef Tim Ma and Patrick Coyne. The duo recently supersized the Laoban brand with frozen versions found in grocery store aisles around D.C." - Vinciane Ngomsi
"I co-founded Laoban Dumplings, which has grown into a packaged brand now found in roughly 1,500 grocery aisles including Whole Foods and Sprouts." - Tierney Plumb
"A Washington, D.C.-based dumpling group that shifted strategy during the pandemic from multiple brick-and-mortar sites to a focus on frozen distribution, citing the heavy real-estate and staffing demands of restaurants. After contracting from four shops to one, the company leaned on grocery partnerships (notably Whole Foods) to reach more customers, viewing frozen production and retail distribution as a smoother, more scalable path despite the challenges of keeping products frozen throughout the supply chain." - Bettina Makalintal
"Ma also took on a culinary director role for Laoban Dumplings, a position mentioned to show his broader involvement in Chinese-food projects beyond Lucky Danger." - Eater
"A Union Market vendor, Laoban Dumplings linked up with Baltimore’s Oliver Brewing to create a new beer dubbed Laoban Lager." - Tierney Plumb