Nom Wah Tea Parlor
Nom Wah Tea Parlor is a 1920-founded dim sum restaurant chain operating five locations across New York City, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas. Revenue is generated through dine-in service, national frozen dumpling sales via Goldbelly, catering, branded merchandise, and a published cookbook.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1920
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Nom Wah Tea Parlor does
Nom Wah Tea Parlor is a privately held, family-owned dim sum restaurant chain founded in 1920 in New York City's Chinatown, currently led by owner Wilson Tang, who assumed control from his uncle Wally Tang in 2010. The company operates five physical locations spanning New York City (the Chinatown flagship, NoLiTa, and Pier 57's Market 57), Philadelphia, and Las Vegas (within JW Marriott), serving traditional Cantonese dim sum including dumplings, buns, and rice rolls. Beyond dine-in service, the business operates multiple ancillary revenue streams: on-site and off-premise catering with a stated $1,250 minimum for on-site events, national direct-to-consumer distribution of frozen dumplings via Goldbelly, retail partnerships with stockists, branded merchandise collaborations, and a published cookbook.
The company monetizes through a hybrid model combining high-volume restaurant operations in tourist-dense urban locations with diversified retail and event revenue. Its primary customers include individual diners (both local and tourist), corporate and private event clients, and at-home consumers purchasing frozen products via the Goldbelly marketplace and select retail stockists. The 11-50 employee headcount across five physical locations reflects a deliberately compact operational footprint. The brand's positioning as the "oldest continuously operating dim sum restaurant in NYC" functions as its primary differentiator in a fragmented Cantonese restaurant market, and this heritage narrative, paired with Wilson Tang's modernization of the menu and channels, has supported gradual multi-city and multi-format expansion since 2010.
Underlying business infrastructure is conventional for the segment: restaurant operations are supported by standard hospitality technology (POS, reservations, third-party delivery), with frozen retail leveraging Goldbelly's national fulfillment platform rather than proprietary logistics. There is no disclosed proprietary technology, platform, or data asset. Revenue mechanics combine per-cover dine-in pricing, event contracts (catering), unit sales of packaged frozen dumplings, wholesale margin on retail stockists, and margin on merchandise and cookbook sales. The company's competitive position rests on brand heritage, menu consistency, and selective real estate (tourist anchors, hotel partnerships, food halls) rather than technology differentiation.
Nom Wah Tea Parlor firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nom Wah Tea Parlor
- Legal name
- Nom Wah
- Website
- https://nomwah.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1920
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Nom Wah Tea Parlor is a 1920-founded dim sum restaurant chain operating five locations across New York City, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas. Revenue is generated through dine-in service, national frozen dumpling sales via Goldbelly, catering, branded merchandise, and a published cookbook.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nom Wah Tea Parlor industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Dim Sum Restaurants
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Caterers (722320)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812), Bakery Products (2050), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Frozen Prepared Meals Retail (CRAHAJAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- DTC Frozen & Prepared Meal Delivery (AFAIANAJ), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Frozen Foods Wholesale (Packaged & Private Label) (AFAIAHAA)
Keywords
Where Nom Wah Tea Parlor is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Nom Wah Tea Parlor business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Restaurant Dining: Full-service and fast-casual dine-in at 5 locations (Chinatown, Nolita, Market 57, Philadelphia, Las Vegas). Traditional dim sum service with walk-in and limited reservation options.
- Catering and Events: Pickup, drop-off, and full-service on-site catering for personal and business events in NYC. Minimum $1,250 order for on-site service. Menu includes vegan and gluten-free options.
- Frozen Dumplings Retail: Restaurant-quality frozen dumplings sold nationwide via Goldbelly and at local tri-state retailers including The Meat Hook, Pearl River Mart Foods, Fairway Market, DashMart, and Sag Harbor area stores.
- Merchandise: Online shop selling branded apparel and accessories including t-shirts, sweatshirts, enamel pins, bandanas, and youth clothing. Includes collaborations with local brands like PiccoliNY, CYNONYC, and Tilit.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | On-site Catering Service |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Pickup and Drop-off Catering |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Nom Wah Tea Parlor product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nom Wah Tea Parlor operates a portfolio of dim sum and Cantonese dining establishments across five physical locations (NYC Chinatown flagship, NoLiTa, Pier 57, Philadelphia, Las Vegas), offering traditional dim sum service, fast-casual formats, takeout, and delivery. The company extends the brand through a frozen dumpling retail product shipped nationwide via Goldbelly and stocked at tri-state retailers, NYC-based catering services for personal and corporate events, and a merchandise line of branded apparel, accessories, and The Nom Wah Cookbook.
Product overview
Nom Wah Tea Parlor is a portfolio of dim sum and Cantonese-American dining establishments centered around its original 1920 tea parlor and bakery in NYC Chinatown. The company operates multiple restaurant formats: the original full-service tea parlor (Doyers Street flagship), fast-casual test kitchen locations (NoLiTa, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Market 57 Pier 57), and a frozen dumplings retail line sold nationwide via Goldbelly and local stockists. Additional offerings include catering services and branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, and cookbooks.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nom Wah Tea Parlor (Doyers Street - Flagship Restaurant) The original full-service dim sum tea parlor and bakery at 13 Doyers St., NYC Chinatown, offering traditional dim sum, Chinese pastries, steamed buns, and tea in a nostalgic diner atmosphere with signature items derived from recipes spanning over a century.
- Nom Wah Test Kitchen (NoLiTa) Fast-casual restaurant at 10 Kenmare St. in NYC NoLiTa featuring self-service ordering, traditional steamed dumplings, dim sum classics, and contemporary Chinese-American dishes with rotating monthly collaborations.
- Nom Wah Philadelphia Full-service dim sum restaurant at 218 North 13th St., Philadelphia, located in the historic Ballinger Building (built 1890) and serving traditional dim sum with reservations accepted Wednesday to Monday.
- Nom Wah at Market 57 (Pier 57) Kiosk inside the historic Pier 57 food hall (Market 57) at 25 11th Avenue, NYC, offering assorted dumplings with traditional, vegan, and gluten-free options, open daily 11 AM to 8 PM.
- Nom Wah Las Vegas First West Coast dim sum restaurant at 221 N Rampart Blvd, Las Vegas (within JW Marriott Las Vegas / The Resort at Summerlin), offering dim sum classics, signature teas, and curated cocktails including the Tangtini and Mahjong Spritz, with walk-in only service.
- Nom Wah Frozen Dumplings Restaurant-quality frozen dumplings distributed for nationwide shipping via Goldbelly and at local tri-state area stockists including The Meat Hook, Pearl River Mart Foods, Fairway Market, DashMart, Eastport General Store, Serene Green, Sagaponack General Store, and Foster Sundry.
- Nom Wah Catering and Events Services Catering services in New York City for personal and corporate events, offering pickup, drop-off, and full-service on-site catering via the Toast platform with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free menu options.
- Nom Wah Merchandise Online merchandise shop at nomwah.com/shop offering branded apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts, youth tees, onesies), accessories (bandanas, enamel pins), cookbooks, and collaborations with artists and local NYC brands including PiccoliNY, CYNONYC, and Tilit.
- The Nom Wah Cookbook Cookbook authored by Wilson Tang containing 75 easy-to-make recipes covering bao, vegetables, noodles, desserts, rice rolls, and dumplings, alongside stories of NYC Chinatown and Chinese immigrant history.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 years of continuous operation as NYC's oldest dim sum restaurant
Companies that use Nom Wah Tea Parlor
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Nom Wah Tea Parlor technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature1 record
Nom Wah Tea Parlor partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- JW Marriott Las Vegas / The Resort at SummerlincoreNom Wah opened its first West Coast dim sum location at JW Marriott Las Vegas and Rampart Casino at The Resort at Summerlin. The resort completed a $75 million property-wide transformation and partnered with celebrity chefs including Nom Wah as part of their food and beverage innovation strategy for the luxury destination.
- The James Beard FoundationcoreMarket 57 at Pier 57 is a food hall curated under the guidance and mentorship of The James Beard Foundation. Nom Wah operates a kiosk location within this food hall.
- GoldbellycoreGoldbelly serves as the exclusive nationwide shipping partner for Nom Wah's frozen dumplings, enabling customers across the US to order restaurant-quality dim sum for home delivery.
- Black Seed Bagels, The Infatuation, Russ & Daughters, Katz's Delicatessen, SoHo House, Essex Market, Tenement MuseumminorNom Wah has collaborated with various NYC institutions and brands for partnerships and activations, bringing their vibrant history to life through brand collaborations.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Nom Wah Tea Parlor competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Joe's Shanghai: NYC Chinatown restaurant famous for soup dumplings (xiao long bao) with multiple Manhattan and Flushing locations. Comparable to Nom Wah as a dumsum/dumpling-focused NYC Chinese brand with multi-location presence.
- Wei Chuan USA: Established frozen Chinese food brand (dumplings, buns, dim sum) sold through Asian grocery and mainstream retail channels. Directly comparable to the frozen dumpling retail line Nom Wah distributes via Goldbelly and tri-state stockists.
- Tim Ho Wan: Hong Kong-born Michelin-recognized dim sum chain with multiple international outposts and retail frozen products. Comparable to Nom Wah as a multi-location dim sum brand that has scaled heritage Chinese cooking beyond its original market.
- Jing Fong: Iconic NYC Chinatown dim sum banquet hall serving traditional Cantonese dim sum. Directly comparable to Nom Wah as a Chinatown heritage dim sum institution competing for the same local audience and tourist traffic.
- Golden Unicorn: Historic NYC Chinatown dim sum restaurant operating for decades in the same district as Nom Wah. Directly comparable as a traditional Cantonese dim sum house competing for Chinatown foot traffic and banquets/events.
- Din Tai Fung: Global Taiwanese dim sum and dumpling chain known for xiao long bao with US locations and retail/frozen product extensions. Directly comparable to Nom Wah as a premium dim sum brand with national and international expansion ambitions.
Emerging players
- MìLà: DTC frozen Chinese soup dumpling brand built on direct-to-consumer e-commerce and modern branding. Comparable to Nom Wah's frozen retail ambition and Goldbelly channel, though optimized as a digitally native CPG brand rather than a restaurant extension.
Broad incumbents
- Russ & Daughters: Century-old NYC Jewish appetizing brand that has expanded into nationwide shipping, multiple retail locations, merchandise, and a cookbook — a strong model analog for how Nom Wah's heritage brand and retail product line can scale. Not a Chinese food peer, but a closely comparable heritage-to-retail playbook.
- PF Chang's: National Chinese restaurant chain with a retail frozen food line sold in grocery stores. Comparable to Nom Wah's frozen dumpling retail business, though at vastly greater scale and with broader menu coverage.
- Katz's Delicatessen: Iconic NYC heritage deli with nationwide shipping, branded merchandise, and licensing partnerships. Comparable to Nom Wah as a New York food institution leveraging brand equity into retail products and consumer goods.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Nom Wah Tea Parlor social profiles
Digital presenceNom Wah Tea Parlor financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nom Wah Tea Parlor leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Nom Wah Tea Parlor subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Nom Wah Tea Parlor funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nom Wah Tea Parlor M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nom Wah Tea Parlor
What does Nom Wah Tea Parlor do?
Nom Wah Tea Parlor operates a portfolio of dim sum and Cantonese dining establishments across five physical locations (NYC Chinatown flagship, NoLiTa, Pier 57, Philadelphia, Las Vegas), offering traditional dim sum service, fast-casual formats, takeout, and delivery. The company extends the brand through a frozen dumpling retail product shipped nationwide via Goldbelly and stocked at tri-state retailers, NYC-based catering services for personal and corporate events, and a merchandise line of branded apparel, accessories, and The Nom Wah Cookbook.
Is Nom Wah Tea Parlor a public or private company?
Nom Wah Tea Parlor is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Nom Wah Tea Parlor founded?
Nom Wah Tea Parlor was founded in 1920. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Nom Wah Tea Parlor based?
Nom Wah Tea Parlor is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Nom Wah Tea Parlor make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Dining is the primary driver. The others are catering and Events, frozen Dumplings Retail and merchandise.
Who are Nom Wah Tea Parlor's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Joe's Shanghai, Wei Chuan USA, Tim Ho Wan, Jing Fong, Golden Unicorn and Din Tai Fung. MìLà is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Russ & Daughters, PF Chang's and Katz's Delicatessen.
Does Nom Wah Tea Parlor have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nom Wah Tea Parlor.
What industry is Nom Wah Tea Parlor in?
Nom Wah Tea Parlor's product category is Dim Sum Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAJAE, Frozen Prepared Meals Retail, with a secondary code of AFAIANAJ, DTC Frozen & Prepared Meal Delivery. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5812.