Mar. 23—After 73 years in operation, a staple downtown restaurant in Logansport will be closing its doors. China Lane held its last day of operation Friday as several customers lined up to their last orders.
“We’ve been here a long time so [yes] it’s sad,” Logansport resident Cheryl Colee said Friday morning. “Great food, it’s one of the best Chinese food places in town… [I’ve been eating here] most of my life.”
The restaurant’s last week saw an overwhelming amount of orders, so many that the restaurant only offered carryout, according to the restaurant’s Facebook page. Owner Mellany He Chan said after the restaurant’s last day, they would like to take a break as these past few days have been exhausting.
“We have only [gotten] like, [a] few hours sleep,” He Chan said.
He Chan said the closure as bittersweet. On one hand, she said she is happy that the restaurant is done and that they can spend more time with her older parents and family. On the other hand though, she said they are sad and will miss their customers and friends.
“… the favorite memory? Working with all my children and the waitresses and everybody here,” He Chan said. “Sometimes, we have up[s] and down[s], but after that, then it was a sweet memory.”
The building is in the process of being sold to a Mexican buyer. He Chan said they tried to bring Asian food to Logansport, but they could not find anyone to open another Chinese restaurant.
“It’s sad. I like coming here a lot, but they have to move on so, so does everybody else,” Peru resident Samuel Sylvain said Friday morning.
He Chan said they are sorry they could not serve the community longer and that they did not give enough notice to say goodbye. She said they wish they could serve the community longer, but they need to spend more time with their family, and they wish everyone the best of luck, happiness and good health.
“We don’t have any goal at this time,” He Chan said. “I’ll go just to relax a little bit, spend more time with my older parent before [it’s] too late. I mean, they’re still in a good shape, but we want to travel with them a little bit more here and there…. Sometimes, money is not everything.”
He Chan’s family bought the business in 2013 from family friends Kan and Boon “Joe” Lee, who were retiring after taking over in 1986. The restaurant first opened in 1951.