A Legacy of Dumplings
When the first Din Tai Fung opened in Taipei, in 1972, the restaurant had four tables. Its owners, the Yang family, lived upstairs. Fifty-three years later the Yangs oversee an empire that doles out Shanghai-style soup dumplings—their delicate skins folded 18 times each—among other delicacies, in more than 165 restaurants around the world. However, for brothers Aaron and Albert Yang, who earlier this year were named co-CEOs of the brand’s North American operation, things are just getting started.
“At an early age I saw a lot of potential in the restaurant,” Aaron says from the company’s U.S. headquarters in Arcadia, California. “Back then most guests were Chinese or Asian. But I had diverse friends, and when I took them to eat at the restaurant, they seemed to enjoy the food. So we thought there was an opportunity to take this mainstream. It pushed us both to major in hospitality at Cornell and continue the legacy our grandfather started.”
The brand’s most recent opening is a 26,000-square-foot behemoth in midtown Manhattan; it is said to be the largest restaurant in New York City. “My father opened the first U.S. branch, in Arcadia, in the year 2000, and it was about 50 seats,” Albert says. “We grew up there, did our homework there, chased each other around there, and started working there when we were about 12 years old, in the dumpling room. We went through all the different positions—busing tables, serving—and then after college we started full-time as managers.”
Next, Din Tai Fung will open its first Canadian outpost, in Vancouver, and another restaurant in Phoenix. Being family-operated, both brothers note, is vital to the chain’s success. “At other companies you might have leadership changes,” Aaron says, “but for us, because we’re family-owned and -led, the mission and vision are continuous, and that’s been helpful in our growth.” It also keeps things interesting. “Being a CEO can be a solitary path,” Aaron adds. “It’s a lot less lonely when you’re working with family.”
This story appears in the February 2025 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW
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