California Chinese restaurant closes after 44 years: 'Cannot afford any longer to stay at this location'
Shanghai Chinese Cuisine closed its establishment in Fresno, California on Tuesday after operating for 44 years following years of robbery and vandalism.
Another long-time California establishment closed this week following years of rising crime.
California local news station ABC 30 reported that Shanghai Chinese Cuisine officially closed its doors on Tuesday after operating in Fresno for 44 years.
"I never wanted to close the restaurant. I wanted to keep Shanghai, but under all the circumstances, financially I cannot afford any longer to stay at this location," owner Pauline Dunn said.
She added, "I never wanted to see Shanghai go down because we have a lot of customers in Fresno who love to come to Shanghai, a lot of memories."
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Despite closing the restaurant, Dunn was hopeful that she could reopen at a new location and assured her customers that it would be the same cuisine they know and love.
"I hope when I reopen we’re going to have a lot of our customers coming back to support," Dunn said.
The restaurant will close its doors by Feb. 29, according to ABC 30.
The report noted the restaurant has been a target for thieves and vandalism in recent years. In 2022, there were multiple instances of vandalism and broken windows. Most notably, copper parts were stolen from the air conditioner on top of the roof, leaving the building too hot for some customers.
"With this situation, I can't run my business," Dunn said at the time.
Shanghai Chinese Cuisine didn't immediately respond for comment.
Stores and offices have closed throughout California over the past few years, with some citing a rise in crime as a factor. The California burger chain staple In-N-Out was forced to close its Oakland location recently despite being a highly profitable area.
"We have made the decision to close our In-N-Out Burger location in Oakland, California, due to ongoing issues with crime," Denny Warnick, the chief operating officer at In-N-Out, said in a statement in January. "Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our Customers and Associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies."
This also marked the first In-N-Out closure in the chain’s history.
"There have been several In-N-Out Burger locations which have required relocation throughout our 75 years, however, our Oakland store will be the first location we have closed," Warnick told FOX Business. "We feel the frequency and severity of the crimes being encountered by our Customers and Associates leave us no alternative."