Oldest Chinese restaurant in California being sold
Nancy and Paul Fong are third generation of the Chicago Cafe, identified as the oldest Chinese restaurant in California and possibly the country. (UC Davis / Jose Alfonso Perez )
WOODLAND, Calif. - The small Northern California city of Woodland is known for its historic buildings and heritage, its rich agricultural background and lately, it’s received a lot of attention for being home to what’s believed to be the oldest continuously running Chinese restaurant in the state, if not the country.
Chicago Café has been owned and operated by three generations of the Fong family, and now the owner wants to sell the business.
Owner Paul Fong said his grandfather and then father ran the business before he took it over.
Chicago Café was part of a project led by UC Davis researcher Gabriel "Jack" Chin who took a deep dive into the restaurant, a piece of history that has stood at its 411 Main Street location for at least 115 years.
The owner said it goes back even further to when his family started operating the restaurant in 1903.
The Woodland eatery competes with the Pekin Noodle Parlors in Butte, Montana, as the designated oldest Chinese restaurant in the U.S. It’s unclear which restaurant actually started first, though. Pekin claims to have been founded in 1911, but likely earlier.
Big picture view:
Chin's interdisciplinary research project studied how the restaurants served as a "symbol of survival" amid times of antagonistic attitudes and laws against Chinese immigrants.
"The Chicago Café is an important part of California and U.S. history," the UC Davis law professor told KTVU in an email. "On the surface, it is an ordinary family restaurant, but when examined more closely, it reveals a remarkable immigrant story."
Professor Gabriel "Jack" Chin and his team at the Chicago Café with owner Paul Fong in Woodland, Calf. (UC Davis / Gregory Urquiaga)
Chin's findings revealed that the restaurant has stood the test of time, surviving decades of legal hostility, discrimination, and the very limited opportunities afforded to immigrants.
The shuttering of Chicago Café could mark an end to a poignant and representative immigrant experience.
Opportunities created
Despite the hardships, the restaurant’s perseverance also resulted in opportunities for the family's next generations, Chin noted.
"It is sad but understandable that recent generations of the Fong family have not wanted to take over the business—operating the restaurant requires long hours of hard work," the professor explained, adding, "That hard work allowed the Fongs to become property owners, and to send their kids to college. I joke that the reason people work in a Chinese restaurant is so their kids don’t have to work in a Chinese restaurant."
What's next:
Fong said if he doesn't find a buyer by June, he plans to close up shop.
"Try to leave somebody else to run it," told KTVU. "So far no interest."
The business owner said he also owns the building in which the restaurant operates, and he's considering selling the property as well if he doesn't get a buyer for the restaurant.
"I'm too old!" the 77-year-old said. "That's why I have to retire."
Time with family
Fong said he and his wife want to enjoy time with family.
"We both work together, and we want to just stay home and play with the grandkids," the grandfather of four said.
When he does retire, what he'll miss the most will be the loyal customers who come for the food.
"We cook it fresh and that's why my customers come," the restaurant owner said. "The local people, three to five generations."
Loss of History
If the business changes hands, Chin said, "I hope someone will take over the restaurant and maintain its heritage. If it becomes a coffee shop or nail salon, it will be a loss."
He feared the history attached to the resilient family-owned restaurant would be easily forgotten.
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"Being the oldest Chinese Restaurant in the U.S. is a kind of honor that is likely to be temporary," Chin said.
He expressed hope that new owners will continue to preserve the restaurant’s rich and meaningful history.
"If someone takes it over and keeps it running as the Chicago Café, that would be fine with me," the professor said. "Immigrant or not, Chinese ancestry or not, it would be wonderful if someone kept the tradition going."
Chicago Café in Woodland, Calif. has been identified as the oldest Chinese restaurant in California and possibly the country. (UC Davis / Gregory Urquiaga)