Local Chinese eatery reopens

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/03/2012 (5040 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A favourite Headingley restaurant is back in business following a change in management at the eatery.

Headingley Chinese restaurant, located in the Headingley Hotel, reopened late last month after closing in January following the departure of its previous manager.

The restaurant is now being run by the husband-and-wife team of Bill and Vilay Chen.

Chen has been in the restaurant business for 30 years and has managed restaurants across the province, including in a number of rural communities.

He said operating Headingley Chinese is a bit like coming home.

“I know the owner of the hotel and I have been helping him set up restaurants for years now,” Chen said.

“And I had been training the old managers how to run the restaurant, so when they left the hotel owner asked me to come back and run the restaurant. So I already know this business really well.”

Chen said he doesn’t expect to make any major changes to the restaurant’s operations or menu.

“The menu is still pretty much the same,” he said. “But everything is homemade and fresh.”

Headingley resident Kevin Woods has been dining at the eatery for several years and was pleased to find out it had reopened.

“I’d say that this restaurant has been missed by the community,” he said during lunch last week. “The food is great and the atmosphere is great.”

Chen said most of the restaurant’s former patrons have been supportive since it reopened.

However, he acknowledged that business has been relatively slow to date and is hopeful it will pick up.

“It’s still pretty slow right now, but we are doing our best for the community,” Chen said.

“And hopefully once more people know we are here business will pick up more.”

facebook.com/TheHeadlinerWpg
Twitter: @HDLYHeadliner

prescott.james@canstarnews.com