About Us
From humble beginnings see our journey of growth and the evolution of Dumpling Bar.
Welcome to Dumpling Bar
As the proud owner of Dumpling Bar, I often find myself reflecting on our journey from humble beginnings to where we stand today. My transition from China to South Africa was fuelled by aspirations and dreams, and the creation of Dumpling Bar is an exciting journey as we are only just starting.
My vision was simple yet powerful when I first opened our doors in 2021 and that was: to bring the authentic flavours of Asia to Ballito. At that time without fully grasping the ‘how to’ I knew there was a gap in the market for authentic Asian food geared towards customers seeking a finer dining experience as opposed to just Asian fast food. At that time and as I continue to do daily, I was sharpening my skills in sushi and other Asian cuisines. My cousin Lee who was already based in South Africa was skilled in Dim Sum and joined me. Lacking the capital and having to take out a loan but armed with passion, determination, and drive, I took the opportunity to enter the market. At that time, I had no idea that Dumpling Bar would soon grow to become a beloved fixture in the community.
I initially struggled to find premises and breaking into a discerning, highly competitive and tough North Coast market proved more difficult than I expected. At the same time, I started working with Spar Retailers between Umhlanga and Ballito providing their in-house Sushi offerings. Our big little breakthrough came through when I set up a canopy/food wagon set up at the Sage Centre in Salt Rock. Whilst the location was not ideal it provided the foundations for me to join the North Coast community and start developing a local customer base.
The North Coast community supported us so much so that we needed bigger premises and in 2021 Dumpling Bar moved to central Ballito in Phezulu Road. The new location enabled the establishment of an 80-seater restaurant and made us more accessible to our customers. More importantly our team of highly aspirant individuals and collaborators eager to learn the art of Asian cuisine, remained steadfast in complementing the growth of Dumpling Bar fuelled by their dedication and a commitment.
Together with my team, we continue to immerse ourselves in the kitchen crafting each meal from scratch be it a meal for one to preparing high volumes with the same care, paying homage to tradition, and complementing each meal with his own innovation. On the other hand, I had to balance this with the business end of things ensuring the smooth operation of the restaurant, working through the trials and errors that come with a start-up, fostering a culture of growth, and guiding and developing our new, young, and growing team members.
My vision for Dumpling Bar is simply to create beautiful memories and experiences through indulging in our fine Asian cuisine. I aim to ensure that our standards continue to grow and shows new benchmarks in the markets that we serve.
Dumpling Bar is about bringing people together and this none so important than as reflected in the development of our team. This is the cornerstone of Dumpling Bar’s mission as a resolute team is key to realising our vision. We continue to train and develop our staff enabling them to continuously stretch themselves. Dumpling Bars growth shall only be as strong as the people that carry it.
We have a simple yet effective value system that is clear in the way we do things daily. We aim to create value for all our customers, through consistent and industry leading quality and service.
The growth of Dumpling Bar has allowed as to also pursue new opportunities by diversifying our channels to reach our customers. We expanded our reach by providing a frozen dumpling line either through wholesale from ourselves in Ballito or through various Spar retail outlets in KZN. In addition to this, we further offer customised solutions to our customers who wish to have Asian themed events or simply wish for Asian catering at their private events or functions.
Looking ahead, Dumpling Bar is committed to the North Coast and SA and our journey is at the beginning. SA is a captivating country with the warmth of its people and the cultural energy woven into the daily lives of its people. Dumpling Bar will continue to growth the role it plays in developing the communities that it aims to serve with pride and distinction.
I trust that each of my customers and those who come to know Dumpling Bar shall experience my passion and labour of love.
Yours truly
Cindy and the Dumpling Bar Team