China News Service, September 4, according to the US "World Journal" report, the long-established restaurant "Hecheng Tea House" in Manhattan's Chinatown, New York, has quietly closed recently.
It is understood that the restaurant was affected by the epidemic. After it closed in mid-March, it briefly resumed work and provided takeaway services. However, New York City has not opened dine-in food for a long time, so that the business can no longer afford the rent and can only announce the closure. The store and kitchen utensils are currently closed. All have been sold and emptied.
Ho Shing Tea House in Chamtham Square, although it has no gorgeous decoration, is open seven days a week. Its authentic and affordable Hong Kong-style refreshments are popular among old immigrants. Famous dim sums include barbecued pork buns, fried taro shrimps and steamed beef balls. Many residents and tourists come to drink morning tea every day.
Mr. Zhang, who works as a security guard in the building next to Hecheng Tea House, said that many companies in the building are regular customers of Hecheng and often order meals with restaurants. In addition to local customers, the gate of Hecheng is the pick-up point for gambling buses. People waiting for the bus will also go in and buy some refreshments to eat on the bus. "It's a pity to see them close."
Hecheng Teahouse, which has been operating in Chinatown for decades, was jointly operated by multiple partners. It was closed in mid-March under the influence of the epidemic, and then resumed work briefly to provide takeaway. However, because the takeaway business could not afford the rent, it had to close.
Mr. Zhang revealed that a few days ago, he had seen the owner move out the property and kitchen equipment from the store, and the basement was also emptied.
Since Chinatown’s streets are narrower than other neighborhoods, many time-honored restaurants have closed due to the difficulties of applying for outdoor dining and high rent and land tax. Restaurant operators say that although Chinatown’s business is good on weekends, there are fewer people on weekdays. , It is still difficult to operate. If dine-in is not opened, more restaurants will close down. The industry said that many restaurants still in operation are already thinking about whether they should close their doors to stop more operating losses.
The New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA) issued an investigation report on September 3, local time, stating that if government assistance is not available, two-thirds of the restaurants in the state may be closed at the end of the year, calling on the state and the federal government to provide commercial rental meetings. Ensure that businesses receive business interruption insurance (business interruption insurance) compensation.
The target of the survey is 1042 restaurants in the state, of which 63.6% of the restaurants said that if they cannot obtain government financial relief, the business is likely to not last next year, and 54.8% of these restaurants facing closure said it is likely to be in November Was forced to close business before. NYSRA members also require the federal and state parties to provide financial relief packages, such as commercial rent reductions and guarantees for business interruption insurance compensation. (Yan Jiaying, Jin Chunxiang)