Milan Chinese restaurant reopening nearly 11 months after fire

MILAN, Ill. (KWQC) - Shanghai Chinese Restaurant is reopening Aug. 9 after a fire closed the restaurant on Sept. 28, 2021.

The fire broke out in the back of the building, causing smoke to spread throughout the entire restaurant.

“The walls were like burnt, including the ceiling and the dining and the kitchen as well. We had to rebuild everything. So everything was a total loss,” said Anna Ngo, the daughter of the restaurant owner.

The restaurant has been located on 10th Avenue West in Milan since 1990.

Ever since the fire, the owner and his family have been working to get the restaurant back up and running, spending nearly $100,000 to renovate the building and get new equipment.

Customers have been eagerly awaiting.

“I didn’t know if they were going to reopen. And it scared me, so we’ll just wait for it to open again I guess. I don’t want to but I guess I have to. Me and my wife walk in here anymore and they know what we want to eat before we even sit down. It’s great,” said longtime customer Jed Johnson.

The goal was to have the restaurant opened by Aug. 8, but water issues inside the building has delayed the grand re-opening by one day.

“I’ve been waiting for a year! I’ve even called City Hall and asked them when it was going to open and they said ‘oh, pretty soon.’ And it just isn’t opening. And, I don’t know where to go to for the best Chinese in the world, except for here,” said

“I’ve been coming here for years. Me and my mother always used to come here for lunches when I was a kid. And it’s still open, and I’m wanting it to get open again because me and my wife die for this place all the time,” said Johnson.

Many people drove by the restaurant Monday, hoping the “open” sign was lit up.

“ope, there goes more people gonna go in. I will be first in line. Probably not. But anyway, I am gonna be down here. This place is gonna go bonkers tomorrow,” said Collier.

The restaurant will be open for only carry-out for the near future.

Shanghai Chinese Restaurant reopens at 11 a.m. Aug. 9 and will be open daily Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.

They are located at 305 W 10th Avenue in Milan.

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