Meet John Kang of The Famous Dumpling Bros in North Dallas

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Kang.

John, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a descendant of North Korea. My family fled to South Korea, where my parents met and lived for several years. By the time my oldest siblings were school age, my parents migrated to the United States on my mother’s work Visa as a Nurse. Shortly after living in the U.S., I was born in Chicago, IL. We eventually moved to Queens, New York, Throughout my childhood, I always remember shadowing my father, (who was a successful restauranteur) and my grandmother (who was an avid home cook) around our house and in the restaurants.

My family always made traditional Korean food in a very traditional Korean way. A very popular Korean dish is called Mandu, known commonly as dumplings or pot stickers. In Korean culture, Mandu is typically prepared only for special occasions, such as holidays etc. This is in part, due to the intensive labor involved in preparing authentic homemade dumplings. Many times a year, I would sit around the table with my Dad and Grandmother, and watch them prepare my most treasured Korean dish.

As an adult, I followed my talents in sales. I was a top sales manager for several foreign luxury car brands across the United States. My life took a drastic turn after the death of my father. He was indeed the cornerstone to our family. I had a deep desire to carry on his legacy, and begin to live a life he would be proud of. I had always had this lingering idea to create a food truck company serving dumplings. I tossed around ideas with family and researched for years. My brother in law approached me shortly after the birth of my daughter, and said ” So tell me about your food truck idea”. He had been a successful dentist for 10 years and was interested in investing. After several meetings and a lot more prayer and consideration, The Dumpling Bros we created!

We primarily serve out of Denton, TX day to day. Our company has grown exponentially over the last few years, and the demand has been overwhelming, in the very best way. We have begun to develop our dumplings to be sold prepackaged. This would allow our customers to enjoy our Famous dumplings from home anytime! Our catering services have been expanded into private events, such as weddings, class reunions, birthday parties, etc. We have purchased a second food truck, that will enable us to serve a wider footprint in the DFW area. “TDB2” as we refer to it, is due to be “up and rolling” fall 2017. Right on time for all the fall festivals, and community activities that come up all over Dallas. We feel extremely blessed to have had the success and growth that we have in such a short amount of time. I am completely honored to be invited to be part of so many special events.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road. I have a lot of experience in business and business development, but was very ignorant to the food truck industry. I have had to learn so many things about, booking gigs, managing inventory, and the list could go on and on. Thankfully we have developed relationships with other food truck owners, and have been able to swap advise and experiences with one another. Experience is the best teacher, and I am hopeful rolling out our second food truck will be a lot smoother.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Famous Dumpling Bros – what should we know?
We are a Korean-American food truck company. We serve Korean fusion dishes and specialize in authentic Korean dumplings. We are most proud of the development of our menu and staying true to traditional Korean dishes. We are a unique food truck experience. We combine delectable and savory meals found in a brick and mortar restaurant, with the convenience of mobile food service. There is absolutely no compromising when you choose to eat from The Famous Dumpling Bros.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Hard work and Perseverance! We have gone through many trials, some logistics, personal, and professionally, but we have never given up. We never cut corners, and have always gone above and beyond. Not only for our customers, but to ensure the quality of our food and service.

Contact Info:

• Address: 208 N. Austin st. Denton, TX
• Website: www.thedumplingbros.com
• Phone: 469-608-1598
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @dumplingbros
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/dumplingbros
• Twitter: dumplingbros_76
• Yelp: The Dumpling Bros

Image Credit:
Zach Ashcraft
Maegan Noel
Cassie Kang

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