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The loss of any great New York dumpling den is devastating, but especially one as cutely decorated and creatively minded as Mimi Cheng's. After 12 years of serving up freshly steamed (and fried!) jiaozi on the East Village, sister-owners Hannah and Marian Cheng have announced that they will shutter their East Village location—their last brick-and-mortar in NYC, located at 179 Second Ave between 11th and 12th streets—on Friday, September 11.
"Big news: we’re turning the page on a new chapter for Mimi Cheng’s!" the restaurant team shared via their social-media channels. "Our East Village restaurant will close its doors on September 11th as our lease has come to an end, but this is far from goodbye. To every person who’s come through our doors, made Mimi’s part of your weekly rotation, or visited us from near or far, and to every chef, restaurant partner, and supplier who’s been on this journey with us, thank you. This 12 year story was built by you, and we’re endlessly grateful."
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The Chengs also revealed that while this is the end of their restaurant era, the closure frees them up to expand their growing frozen-dumpling line. (You can currently find Mimi Cheng's frozen dumplings at major supermarket chains like Whole Foods Markets, specialty grocers like Farm to People and regional markets like Berkeley Bowl in California.)
"While closing this storefront will be sentimental, it means we get to pour everything into what’s next. We could’ve never imagined that our little dumpling shop would turn into a nationwide frozen dumpling business," the announcement continued. "Our focus is now scaling, so Mimi Cheng’s can land on a lot more tables than one restaurant ever could. The dumplings aren’t going anywhere. They’re just getting a bigger home."
And in equally happy news, the brand is bringing back one of their most delectable dumpling collaborations to celebrate the shop's finale days: The Emmy Burger Dumplings— a savory collaboration with Emily pizzeria, made with dry-aged beef, caramelized onions, white cheddar cheese, crushed pretzel pieces (to mimic the burger's pretzel bun) and a side of signature Emmy Sauce for dipping—will make a menu comeback from September 1 to 11.
The burger dumplings are just one of the creative collabs that Mimi Cheng's served up over the years, which have included pastrami Reuben-inspired dumplings with Katz's Deli, calzone dumpings with Lucali and one featuring the famed roast chicken from the NoMad. Though we're sad to see the dumpling shops go, we're at least glad that those kinds of yummy fusion creations will live on in the freezer aisle.