Din Tai Fung's US expansion (2000)
Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese restaurant chain founded in 1972, opened its first US location in Arcadia, California in 2000. It built a following for handmade soup dumplings and became a model for regional Asian food chains entering American markets.
The Arcadia location drew long waits and proved US demand for handmade regional Asian food beyond ethnic enclaves.
Din Tai Fung grew to dozens of US locations, making chain-driven regional Asian cuisine mainstream.
Like Din Tai Fung, Shang Artisan Noodle is betting that a regional handmade food tradition — Shan-Xi hand-pulled noodles — can draw American customers in a fast-casual format.
