Founder Yang Bingyi initially worked ten years at Heng Tai Fung (恆泰豐), a cooking oil retailer in Taiwan.
He then wanted to branch out on his own to support his family.
With his Hakka wife, Lai Penmei, he founded a cooking oil retailer in 1958.
They named it Din Tai Fung by combining the names of Yang's previous employer, "Heng Tai Fung", and their new supplier, "DinMei Oils".

Around 1970, tinned cooking oil became prevalent, and business diminished drastically.
Heng Tai Fung's owner suggested that to survive, Yang and Lai convert half the shop to making and selling steamed buns (xiaolongbao).
The buns grew so popular that the store stopped selling oil altogether and became a full-fledged restaurant in 1972.
The original restaurant is on Xinyi Road in Taipei.

In 1996, the first international location opened in Tokyo, and the first North American store opened in Arcadia, California in 2000.
The first European branch was opened in London in December 2018.
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry in the United States, the first North American restaurant closed permanently on June 11, 2020.
Founder Yang Bingyi initially worked ten years at Heng Tai Fung (恆泰豐), a cooking oil retailer in Taiwan. He then wanted to branch out on his own to support his family. With his Hakka wife, Lai Penmei, he founded a cooking oil retailer in 1958. They named it Din Tai Fung by combining the names of Yang's previous employer, "Heng Tai Fung", and their new supplier, "DinMei Oils".
Around 1970, tinned cooking oil became prevalent, and business diminished drastically. Heng Tai Fung's owner suggested that to survive, Yang and Lai convert half the shop to making and selling steamed buns (xiaolongbao). The buns grew so popular that the store stopped selling oil altogether and became a full-fledged restaurant in 1972. The original restaurant is on Xinyi Road in Taipei.
In 1996, the first international location opened in Tokyo, and the first North American store opened in Arcadia, California in 2000. The first European branch was opened in London in December 2018. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry in the United States, the first North American restaurant closed permanently on June 11, 2020.
Din Tai Fung