Coming soon to Charlotte’s South End: A new location of The Dumpling Lady
One of Charlotte’s favorite spots for hand-made dumplings, noodles and traditional Sichuan cuisine is expanding to South End.
The Dumpling Lady is coming soon to 327 W. Tremont Ave. in the spot formerly occupied by Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit. The team will spend the next few months updating the kitchen, training staff and rebranding the interior, with plans to open this winter. This will be the third — and biggest — location for the franchise that started in 2017 as a food truck and opened at Optimist Hall in 2019.
The restaurant teased the move Friday on social media, and on Tuesday, just moments after the deal was finalized, owner John Nisbet spoke with CharlotteFive about the plans to take on a new market.
“We’ve been looking to expand for a couple of years and have always had our eye on South End,” said Nisbet, who owns the business with his wife, Qian Zhang, the “Dumpling Lady.” “We just love our new spot. The area has grown so fast, and we recognize lots of opportunity with the new demographic in South End.”
Nisbet said they’ll continue serving “all of our greatest hits” at the new location, such as shrimp & chicken and Chengdu style pork and scallions, in addition to expanded options. The new space is larger and gives them more room to spread out and create more Sichuan dishes that typically take more time to prepare, such as hui guo rou (twice cooked pork belly with leeks and peppers).
They also plan to utilize the walk-up window to serve a late-night menu, which is still in the works.
The Dumpling Lady has picked up a loyal following since entering Charlotte’s restaurant scene in 2015. Nisbet attributes this to the authenticity and bold, spicy flavors of his wife’s cuisine. The dumplings and noodles are made with a family recipe from Zhang’s hometown of Sichuan, China.
“We don’t change the recipe for an American audience,” Nisbet said. “We import all of the integral ingredients imported from Sichuan, and I think people appreciate that.”
The Dumpling Lady will continue operating from Optimist Hall and the food truck, which is now permanently parked at Resident Culture Brewery on Central Avenue. Nisbet also hinted at “more to come.”
“We’re extremely grateful for all the support over the years,” he said. “We wouldn’t be doing any of this without the support from Charlotte.”
The Dumpling Lady
Location: 327 W. Tremont Ave., Charlotte, NC 28203 (opening soon)
Neighborhood: South End
Instagram: @thedumplingladyclt
This story was originally published August 23, 2022 at 11:23 AM.
