CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Dumpling Lady is saying goodbye to its beloved food truck as it gets ready to open its new spot in South End sometime in the summer.
The Dumpling Lady wrote on Instagram that the truck "taught them so much and allowed them to share their food with the whole city."
"It will have a new life, but for now, rest," Dumpling Lady said.
The Dumpling Lady said they are close to opening their new restaurant in South End, with an early summer expected opening date.
ABOUT DUMPLING LADY
If you walk by The Dumpling Lady food stall in Optimist Hall or the food truck, permanently located at Resident Culture, you'll find yourself waiting in a long line.
Though everyone who's had The Dumpling Lady, says the lines are worth it.
Zhang Qian [in Chinese culture, the family name is written before the given name] said her humble success story started from the ground level as she worked her way up to becoming a fan favorite for Charlotte residents and visitors alike.
Zhang said when she started her little dumpling business she was just selling them from local farmer's markets. At that time, Zhang was making her dumplings at home, transporting them to the farmer's market, and heating them up in the microwave to sell.
As the demand for her dumplings grew, Zhang knew she needed to get a bigger space, and thus the food truck was born.
"We realized we wanted a food truck to sort of control the final cooking step of the products, to better present our products," Zhang said.
The food truck was wildly popular, visiting several breweries and events in Charlotte and the surrounding cities. Extremely long lines formed of people wanting a taste of The Dumpling Lady.
"After the food truck, we kind of reached our limit," Zhang said. "So with the right opportunity over at Optimist Hall we were like 'OK this is great.'"
Zhang said having a brick-and-mortar in Optimist Hall gives them an opportunity to expand the menu.
Back in May, when asked what the future holds for this popular dumpling chef, Zhang said she wants to open a restaurant where she can provide more Sichuan dishes to Charlotte, beyond just the noodles and dumplings.
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