Water Lilies Food

What Water Lilies Food does

Water Lilies Food, LLC is a U.S. manufacturer and distributor of premium Asian-inspired frozen foods, founded in 1995 in Brooklyn, NY by a husband-and-wife team from Taiwan. Its product portfolio spans six core lines — spring rolls/egg rolls, dumplings/potstickers, buns, bites, noodles, and an Innovations category — all produced as frozen, fully-cooked items in flexible packaging formats ranging from retail pouches to bulk cartons. Manufacturing relies on automated production lines (seven in total as of 2022) housed in a facility on Long Island, with food-safety credentials including USDA, USDA Organic, and GFSI/SQF certifications.

The company runs a B2B go-to-market across three horizontal segments: major retailers, wholesalers, and branded Asian-appetizer businesses, with private-label manufacturing positioned as a core capability. It supplies products nationally, with pricing conducted on a quote-based, non-publicly-disclosed basis. In 2017, Water Lilies took on private equity backing from AUA Private Equity Partners to support continued growth, and by 2022 had grown to over 400 employees across its Long Island operations.

Name

Water Lilies Food

Legal name

Water Lilies Food, LLC

Website

https://waterliliesfood.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Water Lilies Food is a U.S. manufacturer of premium Asian-inspired frozen foods — dumplings, spring rolls, egg rolls, buns, bites, and noodles — supplying major retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice brands nationally through direct sales and private-label manufacturing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Astoria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Product Manufacturing & Distribution: Manufacturing and distributing premium Asian-inspired food products to major retailers and wholesalers
2. Private Label Manufacturing: Manufacturing products under client brands for retail and food service sectors

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Water Lilies Food manufactures and distributes premium frozen, fully-cooked Asian-inspired appetizers including spring rolls, egg rolls, dumplings, potstickers, buns, bites, and noodles. The company supplies major retailers, wholesalers, and branded Asian-appetizer businesses through direct B2B sales and private-label manufacturing, with both retail pouch and bulk carton packaging formats.

Product overview

Water Lilies Food is a manufacturer and distributor of premium Asian-inspired frozen foods, operating as a single unified product portfolio. The company offers six core product lines: Spring Rolls/Egg Rolls, Dumplings/Potstickers, Buns, Bites, Noodles, and Innovations. All products are frozen, fully-cooked varieties available in both retail and bulk packaging formats. The company provides traditional offerings alongside customizable flavors and formulations for private labeling and food service sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Spring Rolls / Egg Rolls

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kahiki Foods: Kahiki produces branded frozen Asian meals and appetizers (egg rolls, rangoons, entrées) for retail and foodservice. Comparable product portfolio, manufacturing model, and US distribution footprint.
• InnovAsian Cuisine: InnovAsian Cuisine manufactures and markets frozen Asian entrées and appetizers (including potstickers, spring rolls, and fried rice) for US retail. Highly comparable in category, channel, and product format to Water Lilies.
• Tai Pei Frozen Foods: Tai Pei is a branded manufacturer of frozen Asian entrées and appetizers sold primarily through US grocery and club channels. Comparable in product range, packaging formats, and channel strategy to Water Lilies.
• Chung's Food Manufacturing: Chung's specializes in frozen Asian appetizers — particularly egg rolls, spring rolls, and rangoons — sold in US grocery and foodservice. Direct category overlap with Water Lilies' spring roll and egg roll product line.
• Wei-Chuan USA: Wei-Chuan USA manufactures Asian-style frozen and shelf-stable foods (dumplings, buns, noodles) for retail and foodservice. Comparable in Asian product expertise, B2B manufacturing model, and US-based operations.
• Ling Ling (Windsor Quality Holdings): Ling Ling is a leading branded producer of frozen Asian dumplings, spring rolls, and potstickers sold in US grocery and club channels. Direct overlap with Water Lilies' core product lines and customer base in frozen Asian appetizers.

Broad incumbents

• P.F. Chang's Home Menu (Conagra Brands): P.F. Chang's Home Menu is a branded line of frozen Asian entrées and appetizers produced and marketed by Conagra. Comparable as a competitor in the same retail frozen-Asian category, though backed by a much larger CPG owner.
• CJ CheilJedang: CJ CheilJedang is a Korean food conglomerate producing frozen dumplings (bibigo brand), noodles, and prepared meals globally. Comparable in frozen Asian product expertise with global manufacturing scale, operating as a broader incumbent in the same category.
• Schwan's Company: Schwan's is a major US frozen food manufacturer with broad category presence including Asian-style appetizers via subsidiaries like Pagoda. Comparable as a large-scale frozen foods manufacturer, though much broader in scope than Water Lilies.
• Ajinomoto Foods North America: Ajinomoto Foods is a large Japanese-owned manufacturer of frozen Asian foods (gyoza, potstickers, entrées) across the US. A broader incumbent with significant overlap in frozen Asian dumplings and appetizers, but at greater scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/water-lilies-food-inc-

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Water Lilies Food