Latest news with #ChinChin
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Beloved iconic local restaurant closing after 42 years
Unless you truly live in the middle of the woods, you probably have your fair share of restaurants to choose from when you want to grab lunch or dinner. Even in rural areas, it's common to have a variety of options. And in major suburbs and cities, your choices might be plentiful. You could walk down the street and choose from among a number of popular cuisines without having to search far and wide. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Still, when there's a restaurant you've known and loved for years, losing it can be a big blow. Related: Beloved Mexican restaurant closing iconic location after 63 years There might be a similar restaurant five minutes away that serves almost the exact same menu. But if a go-to restaurant of yours has the one special dish that always tastes great, it can be a very sad thing to see that establishment disappear. The past few years have been tough for restaurants across the board. In 2020, dining establishments had to close to in-person service for a period of time thanks to the Covid pandemic. And even once restaurants reopened, many grappled with supply chain issues, labor shortages, and rising costs. Related: Chipotle wants to give out more free burritos Lingering inflation has also driven a lot of people away from restaurants. When living costs are high, consumers have to prioritize. That means they can't drop $80 on dinner for two when that same amount of money could potentially buy food for an entire week. Not surprisingly, a number of popular restaurant chains have filed for bankruptcy and/or closed their doors since 2020. About a year ago, Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11, despite having a loyal fan base. And fast-casual chain TGI Fridays filed for bankruptcy about seven months ago, citing financial challenges. You'd think that restaurants situated in major cities would see their fair share of business. But sometimes, being centrally located can be a mixed bag. Being in a prime location gives you access to more customers. But it's sort of like being in a mall. When there's just too much competition around, you can easily lose business. Related: Costco makes surprising food court change to iconic menu item Also, when you're occupying prime real estate, it can be challenging to negotiate favorable lease terms with your landlord. Or, your landlord might decide it wants to do something different with its space. Despite its popular location along West Hollywood's Sunset Strip, beloved restaurant Chin Chin has announced that it's slated to close at the end of July. The restaurant first opened its doors to West Hollywood customers in 1983 and is known for its classic Chinese menu, including its signature Chinese chicken salad with wonton strips. Chin Chin has additional locations in Brentwood, Studio City, and Las Vegas that will remain open. The West Hollywood location is shuttering after the restaurant's landlord opted not to renew its lease. "At the last minute, I think the landlord had a change in vision for the place, and as much as we wanted to be part of that, Chin Chin just wasn't part of their vision," David Choi, a partner in the restaurant, told the LA Times. "It was just a very sudden change, and so we were kind of left scrambling." Chin Chin does hope to reopen in a new location but is still searching for its next home. In the meantime, the restaurant has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support employees during the transition. In an Instagram post announcing the closure, Chin Chin said, "We are heartbroken to announce that Chin Chin will be unexpectedly closing its doors at our Sunset Plaza location." More Fast Food & Restaurant News: Starbucks makes shocking pricing move customers will loveBankrupt restaurant chain offers new deal, stiff drinkNew Taco Bell menu items combines multiple classics Fans can still dine at the West Hollywood location through July 27. Related: KFC's newest restaurant concept has customers obsessed The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Can't let him land first': Host lifts lid on explosive Latrell exchange
Braith Anasta has revealed more details surrounding his fiery dust-up with Latrell Mitchell outside a Sydney restaurant in 2024. The 43-year-old was asked about the exchange on Thursday's Off the Record podcast with The Australian's Andrew Webster and The Daily Telegraph's Buzz Rothfield. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. The incident unfolded in Surry Hills while both parties were separately out for dinner at restaurant Chin Chin in May last year. Mitchell had reportedly taken issue with perceived personal attacks by Anasta and approached him inside the restaurant before asking him to step outside. While the exchange never turned physical, Anasta said to he had fears it could have turned nasty. 'I was thinking in my head, I can't let him land the first one because I'll be gone, because he's a beast,' Anasta said on the Off The Record podcast. 'I'd be lying if I said at some point, I didn't think it might happen. I can understand what he was going through and I can understand how frustrating it is when people have an opinion and you just want to play footy. 'He could have easily called me. He could have easily (talked to me) and I would have spoken to him about it.' The incident quickly found its way online with Anasta left disappointed with how Mitchell's camp leaked the story. 'That was another DW (Danny Weidler) stitch up,' he said. Buzz added: 'He (Latrell) leaked his version of it.' Anasta replied: 'Very quickly mind you.' The NRL 360 host then went into further detail on how the whole night played out but clarified he and Latrell are now on good terms. 'Okay, let me get something clear here – before I tell it, me and Latrell are fine,' he said. 'It's not about putting sh*t on him. I don't want that. But what actually happened was, I finished NRL360 and … by Wednesday night, I just want to have a beer, and have something to eat and just relax. 'So, I've gone to Chin Chin's to meet someone there. I hadn't even ordered. I had my back to the restaurant. So I couldn't see anything other than who I was having dinner with. 'Anyway, I hadn't even ordered a drink and I get this tap on my shoulder. I look over my shoulder and it's Latrell. I coached Latrell in the (under) 20s, always had a good relationship with him, and I didn't think anything of it. 'He goes, 'no, no, no, no. I'm sick of you having a crack at me on 360, yada, yada, yada'. I'm thinking, is he joking here, or is he serious? 'And he goes, let's go outside. By that point, people are looking at us, right? It's the middle of Chin Chin's. It's a busy night. I thought, I need to de-escalate this, or at the very least, I need to get this out of this restaurant, right? 'We go out the front and he just lays, he lays into me, right? He's standing over the top of me and he's having his whack. 'I'm like, mate, okay, slow down. Because there was nothing making sense. It was just abuse. I said, 'mate, what am I doing that isn't right? Is there something that I'm wrong with? Can you just explain to me what you're angry with?' 'They were coming last at the time. I don't know if it was a week or two before, but I'd shown some vision of him at fullback. 'I watch every game of every player … and there were just a few instances where I thought he could be better. 'In that instant, he was over the top of me. I didn't back down at all. I gave as good as I got.' The criticism from Anasta came as the Rabbitohs slumped to to last place on the ladder at the end of round 9, 2024. At the time Anasta and fellow NRL 360 panel members raised questions about Mitchell's place in the team and whether the club should shift him away from the fullback position. Anasta had pointed out that the then 26-year-old Mitchell struggles with defensive positioning as a fullback. 'You look at the great fullbacks in our game and they're there before the play is there. They pre-empt it, they are moving before the ball goes, they are on the bike,' Anasta said. 'He gets caught out a lot in defence, he's very rarely in the frame at the last second when there's a try or when he's got an opportunity to save a try. 'That's where he needs to improve on. That comes down to fitness too Gordie (Gordon Tallis) and comes down to being one of those high energy fullbacks. He plays differently.' Mitchell has turned his form around in 2025 with the fullback staring for the Rabbitohs as well as producing jaw-dropping feats for the NSW Blues in the State of Origin opener. Fair to say there won't be any restaurant confrontations coming if he keeps his stellar play up.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Iconic Hollywood restaurant made famous by the Kardashians suddenly closes
An iconic Chinese restaurant in West Hollywood made popular by the Kardashians and other celebrities is now closing after more than 40 years in business. The first location of Chin Chin - which opened on the Sunset Strip in 1983 - will close on July 27, the restaurant abruptly announced on social media last week. The eatery's other locations in Brentwood, Studio City and Las Vegas will remain open, the announcement said. The casual-dining spot, known for its dim sum and Cantonese specialties, was a frequent hangout for stars like Britney Spears, the Kardashians and Sean Hayes. Back in October 2019, Khloe Kardashian was seen at the restaurant with her sister Kourtney's ex Scott Disick. With the de-facto celebrity endorsements, Chin Chin amassed a legion of die-hard fans over the years. When Chin Chin changed ginger suppliers two years ago because of a supply chain issue, customers immediately noticed that the Chinese chicken salad tasted different and complained, according to David Choi, a partner in the restaurant. A representative for the restaurant told the Los Angeles Times that the building's landlord decided not to renew Chin Chin's five-year lease at the location. 'At the last minute I think the landlord had a change in vision for the place, and as much as we wanted to be part of that, Chin Chin just wasn't part of their vision,' Choi told the outlet. 'It was just a very sudden change, and so we were kind of left scrambling.' Fans of Chin Chin took to social media to share stories about their times at the restaurant, while also grieving the loss of an iconic piece of Hollywood. 'The go to place for me when I lived on Sunset in the 90's. It was like a cozy nightclub,' one person wrote. 'First the Palisades and now Chin Chin… I worked there in the 80s. I feel like my childhood is disappearing,' another said. 'Another slice of L.A. going away. I used to take my daughter there all the time. when she was a little kid. Great people watching,' a third said. Among Chin Chin's most popular dishes are its Chinese chicken salads, dumplings and pan-fried noodles. Many commenters on social media said they'd miss the chicken salad at Chin Chin. Chinese chicken salad with deep-fried wontons mixed in was likely created by Madame Sylvia Wu at her Santa Monica restaurant Madame Wu's Garden, but there is no doubt that Chin Chin popularized the dish in the 1980s and 1990s. 'Owner and founder Bob Mandler is the man responsible for making Chinese chicken salad a household name in Los Angeles County, the man who elevated the fine art of Chinese grazing to undreamed-of plateaus,' former LA Times food critic Max Jacobson wrote in 1992. Chin Chin has been operated by First to Market Hospitality for around a decade. The hospitality group wants to relocate some of the West Hollywood restaurant's staff to the other locations. It also launched a GoFundMe to help the employees who will unfortunately lose their jobs after July's closure. The fundraiser has pulled in $5,280 toward its $20,000, the vast majority of which was donated by Choi. The Brentwood location has seen sales go down ever since the Palisades wildfire in January, Choi told the LA Times, while Studio City's location has languished in the face of entertainment industry strikes. Since delivery is a big part of Chin Chin's business, Choi said customers who want to help the restaurant should order directly from them, instead of from the food delivery apps that take a 20 percent to 30 percent cut. Choi said the idea of immediately investing in a new restaurant won't be a wise decision unless he can find 'a sweetheart deal or a great location.' Many fans of Chin Chin have already visited the Sunset Plaza location to pay their respects. 'We've been around for [nearly] 45 years and that's been incredible, and we couldn't have done it without our customers,' Choi said. 'It's been a very pleasant surprise that we've had so many people that felt so strongly and had so many memories with us.'
Los Angeles Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Celebrity haunt that made ‘Chinese chicken salad a household name' to close this summer
One of L.A.'s most iconic Chinese American restaurants will close next month, ending nearly a half-century of Chinese chicken salads, dumplings and pan-fried noodles in West Hollywood's Sunset Plaza. The first location of Chin Chin — a decades-long celebrity haunt — will close on the Sunset Strip on July 27. Other locations will remain open. The West Hollywood originator helped proliferate Chinese American cuisine in Los Angeles since it debuted in 1983, when founder Bob Mandler introduced many Angelenos to dim sum and Cantonese specialties. A representative for the restaurant told the L.A. Times that while nearing the end of negotiations for that location's five-year lease, the building's landlord chose not to continue the arrangement. Chin Chin's owners hope to reopen elsewhere. 'At the last minute I think the landlord had a change in vision for the place, and as much as we wanted to be part of that, Chin Chin just wasn't part of their vision,' said David Choi, a partner in the restaurant. 'It was just a very sudden change, and so we were kind of left scrambling.' When reached by phone, a representative for Sunset Plaza said, 'Absolutely no comment.' It's the latest in a stretch of West Hollywood restaurants to close this year. The Den on Sunset, Rock & Reilly's and Le Petit Four — the latter of which also resided in Sunset Plaza — all shuttered in 2025. Choi said that First to Market Hospitality, which has operated Chin Chin for roughly a decade, is grateful for its years in Sunset Plaza. The local chain's remaining locations — in Studio City, Brentwood and Las Vegas — remain in operation. Through the years the casual-dining restaurant chain amassed a legion of notable fans, including Britney Spears, the Kardashians and Sean Hayes. The fandom is so fierce, Choi said, that when the restaurants temporarily switched ginger purveyors due to a supply shortage two years ago, customers instantly noticed a change in the signature Chinese chicken salad and cried out. Sweet-crunchy, crispy-wonton-laced Chinese chicken salad was most likely created by Madame Sylvia Wu at her Santa Monica restaurant Madame Wu's Garden, but a large share of the dish's popularity across L.A. in the 1980s and '90s can be credited to Chin Chin. 'Owner and founder Bob Mandler is the man responsible for making Chinese chicken salad a household name in Los Angeles County, the man who elevated the fine art of Chinese grazing to undreamed-of plateaus,' former L.A. Times restaurant critic Max Jacobson wrote in 1992. During the pandemic First to Market Hospitality tapped new culinary talent, including Rockey Dominguez and Maketto chef-owner Erik Bruner-Yang, who helped introduce new dishes and retool some of its older recipes — but some, including the most iconic, remain the same. The hospitality group plans to relocate some of West Hollywood's staff to its other restaurants, and launched a GoFundMe campaign for those who will need financial help after July's closure. But the Brentwood location has seen impacted sales due to the recent Palisades fire, Choi said, while Studio City's Chin Chin has suffered from the entertainment-industry strikes and continued production downturn. A sizable amount of Chin Chin's business comes from delivery orders, Choi said, but third-party apps take commissions of 20% to 30%; ordering directly from the restaurant, he said, would help their survival. Given the restaurant industry's financial precarity, Choi said the prospect of investing capital into a new Chin Chin outpost might not be prudent unless his team can find 'a sweetheart deal or a great location.' At the Sunset Plaza location, many guests are already trickling in to pay their respects since the closure announcement posted to Instagram on Friday. 'We've been around for 45 years and that's been incredible, and we couldn't have done it without our customers,' Choi said. 'It's been a very pleasant surprise that we've had so many people that felt so strongly and had so many memories with us.' Chin Chin is located in Sunset Plaza at 8618 W. Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
After 4 Decades On Sunset Blvd., A Beloved Chinese Restaurant Is Leaving West Hollywood
Sunset Boulevard, a long stretch of road that runs through West Hollywood casually called the Sunset Strip, is home to some of the most iconic restaurants in Los Angeles. However, it will no longer be the home of a cherished restaurant staple — Chin Chin. The restaurant that has called West Hollywood home for 45 years, will be closing this summer, with its last night of service on July 27. In a statement made on the restaurant's Facebook page, it notes that the reasoning for the closing is unexpected, but that its other locations in Brentwood, Studio City, and Las Vegas will remain open. "Over the decades, we've celebrated countless milestones, shared unforgettable meals, and built lasting connections with our cherished guests," the statement said. "None of this would have been possible without your unwavering support, and for that, we are deeply grateful." The statement also notes that the restaurant has launched a GoFundMe page to help them look for a new home in the area, and to support the staff during the transition. Understandably, fans of Chin Chin had a lot of memories to share on social media about how much the restaurant has meant to them. One user noted that his first experience eating there was in 1987, and since then he has always ordered the famed Chinese Chicken Salad and Chicken Fried Rice for parties. Others expressed disappointment and disbelief with the sudden closing, asking fans to visit the other locations to show support. Read more: 13 Chinese Restaurant Chains, Ranked Worst To Best While Chin Chin is the latest business to have to shut its doors on Sunset Boulevard, it's not the only one. According to CBS News, the strip has gone through a tough time recently, with many of its most well-known businesses closing. Le Petit Four, a famous French bakery that had called West Hollywood home for 44 years, had to close in Marchm and is still looking for investors and a new location to call home. According to KTLA, Rock and Reilly's Irish pub, which had been open for nearly 15 years on the Sunset Strip, shut down unexpectedly just before St. Patrick's Day. Sunset Strip Liquor Store, which opened in 2020 and replaced Sun Bee Liquor Market, also announced its closure at the end of March. So why has Sunset Boulevard gone through such troubled times as of late? An Instagram post from Le Petits Four in March cited a litany of reasons, which while specific to this establishment, may also explain the rest of the shutdowns in the area. "Owner Alexandre Morgenthaler, who has lovingly run Le Petit Four since 1999, did everything possible to keep our doors open," the statement reads. "But with rising costs — including a 30% minimum wage increase since COVID and soaring rent — along with a decline in foot traffic, the decision became unavoidable." Read the original article on Tasting Table.
