Selling 10 Million Soup Dumplings and Counting: The Story of MìLà with Caleb Wang
Dec 21, 2023
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Caleb Wang, CEO and Co-Founder of MiLa, shares the story of their authentic soup dumplings and Chinese noodles business. They discuss starting as a restaurant, expanding to ecommerce, raising capital, challenges of Asian food brands, unique customer moments, and potential restaurant expansion.
Mila plans to enter the retail market and become a staple in households across the US by making authentic Chinese food more accessible beyond just shipping individual frozen products.
Mila's investment in packaging, logistics, and rigorous quality control processes enables them to ensure a consistent and enjoyable customer experience with their temperature-sensitive frozen soup dumpling products.
Deep dives
Promoting Authentic Chinese Food
The CEO of Mila, Caleb White, discusses the company's mission to promote the authentic experience of Chinese food. They aim to break the stereotype that Chinese food is only limited to Americanized dishes like General Tso's chicken. Caleb emphasizes the importance of finding a partner who understands the culture and can help tell the story of Chinese cuisine. The company's collaboration with Simu Liu, who shares a similar lived experience, has been instrumental in improving the narrative of Chinese food.
Transitioning to DTC and CPG
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mila observed a surge in demand for its soup dumplings through e-commerce. This prompted them to shift their focus from the restaurant model to direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipping. As they grew, they realized the need to make authentic Chinese food more accessible beyond just shipping individual frozen products. Mila plans to enter the retail market, targeting the frozen aisle. They see a potential to replicate the restaurant experience and become a staple in households across the US.
Overcoming Supply Chain Challenges
Mila faces unique challenges due to the nature of its frozen soup dumpling products. They have invested heavily in packaging and logistics to ensure the integrity of the product during shipping. With temperature-sensitive items, they leverage multiple warehouses to maintain reliable delivery and continually collect and analyze data to address any issues. Mila's vertically integrated team and their rigorous quality control processes enable them to ensure a consistent and enjoyable customer experience.
Partnerships and Brand Positioning
Mila strategically partners with companies like Impossible Foods and influencers like Uncle Roger to create unique collaborations and further its mission of promoting good Chinese food. The company's content strategy aims to educate customers about Chinese cuisine and its preparation techniques, as well as bring joy and surprise through engaging content. Mila positions itself as a premium brand focused on providing high-quality, authentic Chinese food that bridges the gap between restaurant dining and at-home convenience.
Our guest today is Caleb Wang, CEO and Co-Founder MiLa. Authentic soup dumplings, chinese noodles and chef crafted sauces. Made fresh and shipped! We talked about how he and his wife, Jen first stated a restaurant, how that expanded to an ecommerce business, how they raised capital and why they raised capital, and much much more.
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