How MìLà Became a DTC Dumpling Dream in the U.S.

With 20 million dumplings shipped to date, MìLà is quickly becoming a major player in the frozen soup dumpling market. After raising $20 million in a Series A funding round, they’ve achieved impressive 5x year-over-year growth since launching their e-commerce sales. Founded in 2018 by Jennifer Liao and Caleb Wang, MìLà initially began as a brick-and-mortar restaurant inspired by their nostalgic travels to China. But it was their pivot to a DTC frozen food model during the COVID-19 pandemic that really changed the game.

We dug into their full funnel from product development to their email flows to see what’s been driving their growth. Here’s what stood out 👇

The Story That Connects

The founders tell a deeply personal story that resonates with their customers. They’ve managed to transform the humble dumpling into a nostalgic, feel-good brand with a real connection to the customers' own cultural experiences.

1. Authenticity That Shines Through

They don’t just sell a product—they share the process. MìLà posts behind-the-scenes kitchen content, showing their team cooking and having fun with the product. The founders are active on social, often showing up in fun, relatable posts alongside their dumplings. It’s a strategy that builds authenticity and makes the brand feel like part of their customers' lives.

2. R&D That’s a Conversation

One of their standout strategies is customer involvement in product development. MìLà asks their audience what new flavors or products they want to see next, turning R&D into a real-time conversation. This builds strong engagement, making customers feel like they have a hand in shaping the brand.

3. Trust-Building on the Website

MìLà’s website isn’t just a place to order dumplings—it’s a tool to build trust. Press features and customer reviews in both image and video formats give social proof, reinforcing that people love their products. The founders’ personal story is also prominently featured, adding an emotional layer that strengthens customer loyalty.

4. Instagram Strategy That Works

On Instagram, MìLà focuses on both product-based and organic content. The brand doesn’t just rely on paid ads—they use collaborations and authentic posts to keep their audience engaged, creating a community around their dumplings.

What’s Inside Our Full Playbook:

• Meta strategy breakdown
  

• Instagram collaborations (product-based vs. organic content)
  

• Homepage and product page audit
  

• Welcome email series teardown
  

• MìLà’s tech stack
  

📩 Want the full breakdown?

Click the link here  👉Full Breakdown