Change can be difficult to navigate in any relationship. When that connection is one like the love affair Little Rock diners have had with Three Fold Noodles and Dumpling Co. for a decade now — well, is it any wonder patrons would be wary of rocking the “bowl” with any overhauls?
Owner and Chef Lisa Zhang understands the concern, truly. In fact, she prepared for it well before launching the restaurant’s new menu last summer.
“We knew that it [was] a very high-risk initiative from a business perspective, and I’ve prepared for us to take a loss from all aspects and butt heads with our patrons for a year or so,” Zhang said. “But just as we did 10 years ago — when we brought a traditional way of making, cooking and eating dumplings that Little Rock had not been exposed to — we have faith in our guests that they will adapt and enjoy what we 100 percent believe in.”
The confidence shared by Zhang and her team is based on good precedent. From its earliest days, Three Fold and its scratch-made, authentic Chinese eats have had greater aims than mere business success. Three Fold is, Zhang said, as it has always been, a window into Chinese gastronomy. The core dishes of noodles, dumplings and buns have enjoyed a popularity streak of 2,000 years and counting, after all, and the redesigned Three Fold menu simply offers patrons new ways to enjoy them…