Patrick Coyne loved the bustling energy and incredible flavor of the roadside dumpling shops he visited in China. That experience, and the incredible food, was something he missed back home—and something he realized was missing from the American frozen food aisle. Seeing an opportunity to merge authentic flavors with modern convenience, Patrick founded Laoban, a brand dedicated to delivering the dumpling shop experience right to your freezer.

Laoban, which means "boss" in Chinese, pays homage to the masters of those authentic shops, offering a line of frozen Asian snacks and appetizers that began with chef-crafted dumplings. The brand takes classic Chinese dumplings and injects them with modern twists, new flavor combinations, and heaps of fun, making them accessible to everyone across the nation.

Inside the Episode:

• How Patrick turned his love for authentic Chinese street food into a mass-market frozen brand.

• How partnering with a culinary expert helped Laoban craft a quality, chef-driven recipe that could be successfully scaled for the frozen aisle.

• How to build a brand identity—like Laoban—that successfully honors tradition while embracing fun and innovation.

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This podcast episode was made possible by Hummingbirds

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