Dough Zone’s Lacey site brings in thousands of diners opening week

Locals have long lamented the lack of authentic Chinese food in Thurston County, but things are changing now that Dough Zone is in town.

As the Redmond-based dumpling chain expands across Washington, Oregon, California and Texas, staff members said its debut in the South Sound was a record-smashing success.

The restaurant on June 25 opened its doors in Lacey at 2480 Marvin Road NE, Dough Zone’s 28th store.

In just one day, the Lacey restaurant broke Dough Zone’s all-time sales record, with lines spilling into the street, according to employees.

“It broke the sales record for all Dough Zones ever,” said John Kauffman, a staff member who works at Dough Zone’s Renton location but was brought down to Lacey to accommodate the opening week crowd.

Though the store has only been open for one week, thousands of diners have descended upon Hogum Bay Town Center to get a taste of Dough Zone’s signature xiao long bao, dumplings known up and down the West Coast for their tender, juicy quality.

Alongside xiao long bao — soup dumplings filled with pork, chicken or a combination of pork and crab meat — Dough Zone’s Q-bao (plush pan-fried buns), dan dan noodles (a Sichuan specialty with a kick) and potstickers (pan-fried dumplings that are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside) stand out as fan favorites.

Dough Zone also serves a variety of drinks, including milk teas and fruit teas.

“I would recommend trying our drinks, our Thai tea and our passion fruit green tea,” said Elyza Alagar, a staff member at the new store.

For the quality, online reviews note Dough Zone gets a big bang for your buck.

One basket of steamed xiao long bao costs $9.95 while a bowl of dan dan noodles comes in at $7.90. Plus, everything is shareable.

“It was honestly the best dumplings I’ve ever had, so flavorful that my mouth is watering as I type this! And it was super affordable too!” One customer wrote about the eatery’s International District location on Yelp.

Here’s how it works

At Dough Zone, diners put in one menu card for the whole table — dim sum style — and watch steaming plates and baskets begin to arrive. The experience has been unique for many of the Lacey restaurant’s customers so far.

“I’ve been enjoying talking to the tables. Most tables that have come in haven’t really been able to eat dumplings or soup dumplings before,” Kauffman said. “And there aren’t really that many options in this area, and so for a lot of people, I think they were really excited to try it.”

Locals who have stopped for Dough Zone in the Seattle area in the past said they were excited to see the restaurant expand into the South Sound.

“The one in Seattle, it’s the only place I know, and the one in Renton. I just love the food,” said Lance Babauta, one of the diners during Wednesday afternoon’s lunch rush.

Tina Thielman, another Wednesday afternoon diner, said she has also enjoyed Dough Zone in the Seattle area before visiting the Lacey location.

“I’ve always said ... they need to have one down this way. And they did it,” Thielman told The Olympian.

Dough Zone opened in 2014 as a mom and pop shop in Bellevue, which brought Chinese culinary tradition to the Eastside. But as more and more people have gotten word of the dumpling chain’s specialties, the restaurant has branched out across Washington and into three other states.

Since it opened last week, the Lacey Dough Zone has seen an almost-constant wait between 15 to 20 minutes, with dinner waits early on sometimes reaching between one and two hours.

Staff members said the Olympia-area can expect to see a second store in the next year, though the restaurant has not announced an Olympia location.

This story was originally published July 3, 2025 at 2:17 PM.