Sam Wo, a 115-year-old restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown, could shut down for good by the end of this year. That’s the word from co-owners if they can’t find a new chef to run the restaurant and a buyer in the next three months.
The goal is to keep Sam Wo in Chinatown, but owners say all options are on the table.
David Ho, 69, has run Sam Wo for nearly 45 years and says it’s time to retire. We talked to Ho and his son, Jason, who helped us translate the Cantonese.
Ho, says, “He’s saying no, no not doesn’t really feel sad. It’s just part of life, you know, heading towards retirement. I mean. No, no, not that much regrets.”
Co-owner, Steven Lee, wants to keep Sam Wo in the neighborhood where it’s been since 1908. The lease ends at the end of the year.
Lee says, “It’s not that the landlords won’t renew for us, it’s just that we don’t feel comfortable without a really good operator to keep Sam Wo going that we can not sign the lease. We are looking for somebody to take over for Mr. Ho’s family and be our partners in this community venture. Or we’ll sell the restaurant. We do have a national broker that’s going to be soliciting Sam Wo across the country.”
Pictures and memories are everywhere on the walls of customers, community and celebrities like Actor Ken Jeong, Chef Martin Yan and Conan O’Brien. Sam Wo is also home to San Francisco’s “rudest waiter”, Edsel.
Jason and his sister won’t be taking over the restaurant. He says his father doesn’t want them to take over the family business, “It’s really hard work. He’s here almost like, every day, working, like, ten plus hours, you know? And he doesn’t want that for us. You know, he wants us to go out in find our own passions our own careers.”
Sam Wo has spanned generations and it brings up a lot of nostalgia for customers. Everyone has a story to tell or a favorite food they come here for. Whatever happens, Ho is ready to let it go.
His son tells us his father is content after 43 years of memories at this restaurant.
Lee says if they don’t find a buyer and chef by end of the year, he’ll auction off parts of the restaurant, like the original stools and the outside sign, early next year.
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