Mee Heng Low Noodle House, one of San Luis Obispo's most historic restaurants, announced on Thursday it will permanently close.
Since opening in 1927, three generations of families have run the beloved local business.
For the past 17 years, Paul Kwong has been the official owner. His son Russell is the restaurant's chef and manager.
"I've been working here longer than I've lived in my childhood home. This is very much like the second space for me," said Russell.
The noodle house, a cornerstone of San Luis Obispo's Chinatown for nearly 100 years, shared the news of its upcoming closure on social media.
Its last day of business will be August 29.
"It's a little bummer to lose it, but it's also time to move on," said Russell.
Russell says he has ultimately decided to close up shop due to the uncertainty surrounding the impending sale of the building Mee Heng Low occupies.
However, he says there are other factors driving the choice as well.
"There's a lot of good reasons to close a restaurant right now," said Russell.
The closure marks the end of an era for a restaurant that has long been considered one of the city's most iconic dining destinations.
It is one of the oldest businesses in San Luis Obispo and the last Chinese-operated establishment in the city's historic Chinatown.
Mee Heng Low made headlines as recently as January, when the restaurant celebrated completing long-awaited repairs funded by a $50,000 historic restaurant grant.
The project brought new life to the Palm Street location, lighting up the historic space once again after years of anticipation.
San Luis Obispo Business Navigator McKenzie Taffe helped secure the funding for those repairs.
She calls the restaurant's closure "a tremendous loss for our community," but notes that having a business around for nearly 100 years is something special.
"I think it is a testament to our community and the people here that want to support small, independent, and historic restaurants," said Taffe.
No word yet on what the future holds for Mee Heng Low's downtown location.
Russell says he plans to stay in San Luis Obispo, and is looking forward to working with San Luis Obispo County Arts.
