With multimillion dollar initiatives under way to revive ailing cities impacted by long lockdowns, restaurant owners Ying Hou and her mother Meiyan Wang - affectionately referred to as ‘Mama’ - are among those who are thriving by finding new ways to operate.
Their business ShanDong MaMa in Melbourne’s Chinatown makes thousands of dumplings each day, and during COVID-19 they survived by selling snap frozen versions.
“There's one thing we can do well, which is making dumplings and they are hopefully the best in Melbourne,” Ying Hou tells SBS Small Business Secrets.
Despite COVID chaos, the family-run business based in a small arcade off Melbourne’s Bourke Street has emerged an unstoppable force.
“We’ve heard from customers who traveled to China, that we make better dumplings than in China,” Ying says with a smile.
Like many family run businesses, everyone plays a specific role. Ying is in charge of sales and marketing while Meiyan Wang oversees the culinary process.
The ShanDong Mama shopfront in Melbourne. Source: SBS Hashela Kumarawansa
Their dumplings are inspired by the family’s original home, the fishing town of Yantai on the Chinese Shandong Peninsula, known for its seafood.
“We are the first restaurant that made mackerel fish dumplings,” Ying said. “Mackerel is very common in Shandong Province.
“So we simply brought our hometown to Melbourne.”
‘Mama’ Meiyan Wang was a child during China’s cultural revolution and says catching fish helped the family survive at a time of mass starvation.
“My grandpa would go fishing and when he came home, he would share it with the whole building,” Ying says.
Ying migrated to Melbourne as a teenage student in 2000 and her mother Meiyan followed ten years later.
“Mum was retired before she came to Australia and many of her colleagues were at home raising grandchildren when she came here to start a new business,” Ying recalls.
“My mother is brave and she taught me to be an independent woman which is what I teach my daughters as well.”
Moves are underway to revive ailing central business districts (CBDs) impacted by COVID restrictions. The Victorian government and the City of Melbourne have launched a $44 million package, which will allow patrons eating out in the CBD between Monday and Thursday to claim back up to 30 per cent of their bill from 15 November.
It's good news for small family run businesses which have struggled during COVID.
“[Lockdown] was a shock because life was completely different, but we had to survive," Ying says.
“It was not the Melbourne I know. It was like a ghost town but we tried not to feel upset about it, and just accepted it,” Ying says.
ShanDong Mama closed the CBD and Richmond dining rooms during lockdown reducing customers from 100 per day to zero, but sales of frozen dumpling have kept income rolling in and staff at busy.
“Before the pandemic we made around 2,000 dumplings each day. During the lockdown that dropped to around 1,200 pieces per day, including frozen and takeaway.”
Even so, with government support and income from dumplings they managed the $16-thousand-dollar monthly rent across their Melbourne venues.
“We are surprised by how many people bought [frozen dumplings], and how popular they are.
All ShanDong MaMa dumplings are hand made. Source: SBS Hashela Kumarawansa
“Luckily we still have our chef, because during pandemic many chefs from Shandong province decided to go home because to them it seemed safer,” Ying explains.
Their mackerel dumplings were perfected through trial and error. They are all hand-made from scratch hand filled with fresh fish, chives, coriander, ginger and spring onion.
“I am glad we made this decision, because there are still many people in Australia who have not yet tried Shandong Mama dumplings.
“Our goal is to be able to put our [frozen] dumplings in grocery stores across the country.
Ying is pleased to see the dining room busy again but admits the business would not be the success is it today without her ‘mama’.
Ying and the team at ShanDong MaMa. Source: SBS Hashela Kumarawansa
“She can see things from a different view, and when I need a second opinion I value her advice.
“We had a rough time at the start but through the years we have learned to co-operate. Now I feel safe when mama is around, yeah I am a mama’s girl.
“She is the person who always reminds me there is nothing you cannot solve out unless you don’t try.”
