A Taiwan-based dumpling chain with more than a thousand locations worldwide has set its sights on The Heights for its first Houston restaurant. Bafang Dumpling is planning to open at 915 N. Shepherd Drive, Suite H, inside the Merchants Park shopping center, with construction potentially stretching from December 2026 into mid-2027.
According to Chron, the project would turn 2,850 square feet of currently vacant space into Bafang's debut Houston storefront, with a remodel estimated to cost approximately $300,000. The suite previously housed a MOD Pizza location and, before that, a Capital One bank branch, the outlet reports. The plans are detailed in a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Per the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation project listing, the Houston job could start December 15, 2026, and wrap by June 15, 2027, with the agency's filing categorizing the work as new construction funded privately. As of now, there's no confirmation the restaurant has actually opened, and the available filings describe the project only in planned or expected terms.
What's on the Menu
Bafang Dumpling specializes in potstickers and dumplings in a variety of flavors, including kimchi and pork, corn and chicken, and veggie options, according to What Now Houston, which describes the chain as a potsticker and dumpling specialty concept that originated in Taiwan. Chron's rundown of the broader menu points to noodle dishes like sesame noodle, beef dry noodle and mala Taiwanese beef noodle soup, alongside rice plates such as pork chop with braised pork belly, plus soups, crispy wonton and combo meals.
The chain traces its roots to 1998, when it was founded by Lin Jiayu — also known as Mr. Lin or Lynn Xiau — in Taipei's Tianmu neighborhood, the same report notes. Since then, Bafang has grown into one of Taiwan's larger restaurant exports, with international expansion, particularly in the United States, identified as a central strategic focus, according to Taiwan News.
A Chain on a Growth Tear
The numbers behind that expansion are striking. The outlet reports that Bafang opened 77 new stores in the prior year, for a net gain of 13 locations after closures and consolidations, while posting NT$8.03 billion — about US$268.38 million — in consolidated revenue for 2024, up 9.37% from the year before. As of May 2025, the chain operated 1,371 stores worldwide, including 1,284 in Taiwan, 76 in Hong Kong and 11 in the U.S., per the same report. What Now Houston has since put the global count above 1,400 locations with roughly 17 U.S. stores, though the figures vary slightly depending on the source and date.
Texas has become a key piece of that U.S. push. Inside Retail Asia reports that Bafang planned to open stores across the state as part of its broader rollout, and the chain already operates a location at 2540 Old Denton Road in Carrollton. A Frisco location at 9180 Warren Parkway is listed as coming soon, the Chron report notes, and Bafang also has locations scattered across Northern and Southern California, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
More Houston-Area Locations on the Way
Houston proper isn't the only nearby market getting a Bafang outpost. The chain is also preparing to open in Baytown at 6560 Garth Road, with a grand opening targeted for spring or summer 2027, What Now Houston reports in a separate report on that project. That timeline would put the Baytown debut roughly in the same window as the planned completion of the Heights location's construction.
For now, the Shepherd Drive project remains in the planning and permitting stage, with the TDLR filing serving as the clearest public record of the timeline. Whether the December 2026 start date holds, and whether the restaurant ultimately opens on schedule in 2027, isn't yet confirmed by available records.
