Dumpling Daughter in Weston sees further expansion opportunity in retail sector

WESTON — Through her business ventures, Nadia Liu Spellman has been able to achieve several dreams.

Spellman owns Dumpling Daughter, a fast-casual restaurant offering Chinese food that marks its 10th anniversary later this year. The business, at 37 Center St., has expanded to two more locations (South Boston and Brookline), as well as into the freezer — its frozen dumplings are sold at Roche Bros. and Market Basket stores, with expansion planned for Shaw's Supermarkets, Star Market and Stop & Shop.

After the pandemic, Spellman was inspired to bring the dumplings she grew up eating into people's homes. She grew up in the food industry, and wanted to bring dumplings into the retail sphere after working for a bit on Wall Street.

'Carry on family legacy': Weston native leaves Wall Street to open Chinese restaurant back home

"I really missed those Sundays when I was little, and in order to bring you back and give you those nostalgic feelings, I decided that I needed more dumplings in my life," Spellman said. "(Dumpling Daughter) came from a place where I saw a need to share the place with Westerners, because I was Chinese and I grew up in Weston, but I was raised like a Chinese kid eating dumplings every Sunday at my grandmother's house."

Spellman gets advice from co-founder of Stacy's Pita Chips

She sought advice after meeting fellow Massachusetts business owner Stacy Madison, co-founder of Stacy's Pita Chips, who advised her to open a brick-and mortar store first in order to build a brand.

"I got carried away opening restaurants," Spellman explained. "But actually my goal was to get frozen dumplings in the supermarket. So what I did was I did a test and I started selling frozen dumplings through all brick-and-mortar stores."

Through Dumpling Daughter, Spellman was also able to achieve another of her family's dreams: writing a cook book with her mother, former restaurateur Sally Ling. The book was written during the pandemic, when she and her mother were staying home and Spellman was teaching cooking classes online.

Ling expressed excitement for her daughter's business ventures.

“The cookbook really is on my bucket list to do in my life, which I’ve never done and I thought I missed something and she said we’re going to do it,” said Ling, whose Boston restaurant, Sally Ling's, was considered to be one of the first fine dining Chinese restaurants in the United States. “I was so excited, and she decided to go for the frozen food since we have a factory, and I’m just totally excited.”

Dumpling Daughter allows owner to share culture

According to Spellman, it was her father's dream to open a fast-casual restaurant in Weston.

Spellman also owns Heirloom, a coffee shop and breakfast restaurant a few doors down at 31 Center St. that she owns with her husband and high school sweetheart, Kyle Spellman. Her father, Edward Nan Liu, had previously eyed the location for a restaurant but was unable to follow through.

The coffee shop, which is lined with black-and-white photos of the couple's families, is considered a gift to Weston by Spellman.

Dry no more: Restaurant planned for historic Weston tavern will be first in town serving drinks

Through Dumpling Daughter and its grocery store products, Spellman is able to share her heritage and her culture with people throughout the region. She said getting there wasn't easy, as growing up in Weston made her feel insecure.

"Growing up, I was one of the few Asians in Weston and I went home feeling quite insecure," she said. "My dad told me one day that I'm going to use my difference as an advantage."

She added that her father also told her that Spellman would be proud to be Chinese one day, and that she needed to use her culture and upbringing as a way to differentiate herself.

"I think I did just that with Dumpling Daughter," Spellman said. "I get to share my culture and it's extremely fulfilling to do so."

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Weston Dumpling Daughter sees expansion opportunity in grocery stores