Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, a locally-owned quick-serve concept offering lunch, dinner and late-night day parts will open its first Austin location on Tuesday, September 12 on the East Side at 1401 E. 6th Street, Bldg 1, Suite 201.
With a take on the early 20th century automat locker system to serve its customers, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop not only provides creative dumplings and bowls but also a modern dining experience. Serving a multitude of traditional and nontraditional dumpling recipes this way via locker system was conjured up by the original founder of the concept, Stratis Morfogen, during the pandemic in New York City.
Austin resident, owner and operator, Alex Liebert says, “In the early 1900’s, dining by automat was a popular experience wherein the guest would grab their chosen items from the lockers and find a seat in the dining room. In fact, there’s a well-known inspiration photo in our restaurant of Audrey Hepburn grabbing a sandwich out of one of the historic systems.”
“The idea is we draw inspiration from the past but have made it high-tech,” says Liebert.
He continues, “Originally, automats took only nickels and used a cashier sitting in a booth. Brooklyn Dumpling has brought the automat into the 21st century by using smart phones and bar codes.”
Liebert explains, “Brooklyn Dumpling Shop’s automat locker system provides a flexible experience where the customer can dine on their own terms. If a group of friends wants to come and sit down for a comfortable meal, they can. If guests just want to order ahead and grab-and-go from the locker on their own terms, they can do that as well.”
The Austin location will feature 20 temperature controlled lockers.
Liebert says, “Austin has a vibrant and exciting food scene and is a great market to provide a unique twist on a cuisine that many love and seek out. I felt the city would appreciate the offerings and its overall vibe and uniqueness and am excited to see how our guests react.”
The expected as well as unexpected menu combinations consist of traditional dumplings, specialty dumplings, gluten free dumplings, bowls, sides and desserts. Traditional dumpling and Potsticker options include, Pork & Vegetable, Kung Pao Chicken, Chicken Teriyaki, and Vegetable. Specialty Dumplings are available seared or crispy in seven unexpected flavors – Buffalo Chicken, Korean BBQ, Reuben, Philly Cheesesteak, Mac & Cheese, Chicken Parmesan, and Lamb Gyro.
Another popular menu item at the dumpling shop are the “Bowls” – guests select a base (white rice, lo mein noodles, fries or mixed greens), protein (grilled chicken, crispy chicken or crispy shrimp), and sauce (famous peanut sauce, Kung Pao, sweet and sour, teriyaki).
Brooklyn Dumpling Shop will also offer beer and wine as well as their signature drinks, the Red Velvet Frosé and Lychee Frosé.
The new location has seating for 30 in the roughly 1,600 square foot space. The store has a warm and inviting atmosphere that matches the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop brand with the eclectic, trendy feel of East Austin.
To place an order for pickup, visit https://www.brooklyndumplingshop.com/locations/. Third-party delivery will be available on most apps including UberEats, DoorDash and Grubhub.
Brooklyn Dumpling Shop will open Tuesday, September 12 for lunch, dinner and late-night.
