You might have read some sad news yesterday while perusing your favorite website for breaking restaurant news. If you read yesterday’s coverage, which of course you did, then you must have heard about Uluh Tea House moving into the former Vanessa’s Dumplings at 14th street. While Uluh is a thrilling new concept that’s bound to succeed, fans of Vanessa’s Dumplings (myself included) remained curious about where the popular chain would move.
Thankfully, that answer has finally arrived! After suffering a difficult year of setbacks from the global pandemic, Vanessa’s Dumplings is back in business and expanding like never before. While they may have closed one of their locations on east 14th street, they are making up for it by opening a brand new location at 1623 Second Avenue, in Yorkville.
The new Vanessa’s Dumplings will be managed by Genesis Brand Management (GBM), a full service investment and management company based in New York. Founded by entrepreneurs DJ Liu and William Chen, GMB offers expertise in business development, finance, operations, design, and law. GBM carries extensive experience in the US and China, allowing them to navigate unique markets while preserving a brand’s signature identity. In addition to Vanessa’s Dumplings, GBM also manages Zhongzhong Noodles, Liangtse Wellness, Milu, Menusifu, Liuyishou Hotpot, and Dadong New York.
Founded in 1999, Vanessa’s Dumpling House is a New York born-and-bred business. Founder Vanessa Duan grew up in Beijing and had fond memories of friends and families visiting to make dumplings to celebrate the new year, and wanted to share that experience with the world. Opening up a dumpling house in Chinatown at the turn of the century, Vanessa quickly became something of a New York icon. Now her dumpling house can be found at critical junctures across the city, and fans are eagerly awaiting her next expansion.
The new restaurant will offer 1,418 square feet of space, replacing the Park East Kosher grocery store that currently occupies the space. The building sat vacant for quite a while, remaining on the market for 60 months before finally being snatched up by Vanessa’s Dumplings. While you wait for them to open the new location, you can visit their other locations listed on their website.
