Our Story
Meet The Partners
Chef Irene Li co-founded Mei Mei with her siblings in 2012 as a food truck. "Mei Mei” means little sister in Mandarin Chinese and Mei Mei food is an expression of the Li siblings’ favorite childhood eating experiences as Chinese-American kids growing up in Boston. In 2020, Irene teamed up with Babson MBA graduates Alyssa Lee and Annie Campbell to lead the business in its transformation into a Dumpling Factory, Cafe, and Classroom.
Mei Mei's unconventional dumpling combinations showcase our love for great New England ingredients along with a pursuit of what tastes delicious. We use pasture-raised meat that is sourced from the Northeast and work with small, independent family farms. We are able to source 70% of our produce from the Northeast. Since 2018, Mei Mei has been an “Open Book” company; we share key financial information with all staff, empowering them to think and act like managers regardless of their role or title.
Since the pandemic, the business has changed. But Mei Mei isn’t going anywhere; in fact, our dumplings are going everywhere!
Managing Partner Annie Campbell, Co-Founder Irene Li, Managing Partner Alyssa Lee
How We Met
In 2017, Alyssa interviewed Irene, co-founder of Mei Mei, while finishing her MBA and working on a dumpling food truck concept. They hit it off, and Irene followed-up by asking Alyssa if she was interested in getting some “hands-on food truck experience” at Mei Mei, which started as 1 day per week and eventually turned into a full-time role in 2019. Irene and Alyssa found that they complimented each other's strengths. Irene, as an external industry trailblazer and leader with innovative ideas around employment practices and food sourcing was naturally paired with Alyssa’s ability to take those ideas and develop and grow them within the business. Annie, Alyssa’s classmate in business school (and one of top students in their class!), had informally helped Mei Mei over the years with financials and advised on business development projects. When Mei Mei had plans to open two new restaurant locations in 2020, Annie officially joined to project manage expansion, which quickly pivoted to helping Irene and Alyssa ensure the business’ COVID survival. When Mei Mei identified the expansion route of prepared dumplings, Annie, with her background in manufacturing consulting, was a perfect fit to round-out the partners trio for Mei Mei Dumplings. Irene, Alyssa and Annie pride themselves on being an all-female leadership team, and hope that their achievements can inspire future women to grow and lead businesses.
Mei Mei Partners with some of the team. Left to right:
Devin Shiang, Irene Li, Alyssa Lee, Annie Campbell, Wei Wu, Angelle Castro
Our Origin Story
“Mei mei” (pronounced may-may) means little sister in Chinese. When Andy Li founded the Mei Mei Restaurant Group in 2011, he named it after his two mei meis, Margaret (who, incidentally, often goes by Mei) and Irene. Their food truck opened in April 2012 and was awarded Boston's Best Meal on Wheels soon after. The restaurant, named Eater Boston's Restaurant of the Year, opened in November 2013 and served up casual counter-style lunch and dinner.
The three siblings have always loved food in all aspects – cooking, eating, experimenting, exploring, enjoying around a massive banquet table with all of their cousins and aunties and uncles and friends. They started Mei Mei Street Kitchen in order to share our passion for food and bring together the power of their diverse experiences like Voltron to create something new and exciting.
They took the food they loved as children, added modern elements and the experiences of the present, and also incorporated practices that fit with their vision of how to do business for a sustainable future. With Andy’s many years in fine dining management, Mei’s experience as a successful entrepreneur and MBA, and Irene’s time living on a farm and working as a line cook, their combined love of good times and great eats, they crafted a deeply personal venture.
The Li Family Legacy
Mei Mei comes from a long family tradition of loving food. In the late 1940s, Grandma and Grandpa Li opened China Garden in White Plains, New York. After fleeing China with five mouths to feed, they dutifully provided Americanized classics like chop suey, but they also introduced “ho go” or hot-pot style cooking, and other regional cuisines to their guests. The dining experience was complete with banging gongs, ladies in qi-pao dresses, and large format banquets.
Their restaurant was widely profiled and active in its local community. Gotham Guide called Grandma Li a “dynamic, indefatigable, utterly charming lady boss.” They created a life for themselves and their children; we would be nowhere without our families.
At Mei Mei, we work in food by choice, rather than necessity, but celebrate the same joys as our grandparents at China Garden: inventive and exciting food & beverage, kind and generous hospitality, and a hopeful vision for a future that is just, equitable, and delicious.