Historical Hong Far Lo Restaurant

During the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth century, migrations were happening all across the United States with people of all ethnic backgrounds trying to find job stability and a sense of community. For many this was found in Michigan where many ethnic groups were finding and meeting together to try and start their new lives. Specifically in the Chinese community places such as Detroit and Grand Rapids were becoming centers for Chinese culture and business. Many laundromats and eventually small convenience stores were owned and operated by Chinese families. However, some people sought bigger dreams and business such as Chan Hoy who owned and operated one of the most successful restaurants in Michigan. Chan Hoy’s restaurant is significant in Michigan’s history as not only did it show the growth of ethnic groups within the state, but also showed how communities came together and began to integrate through business.

Starting at the end of the nineteenth century the immigration of male Chinese immigrants to Michigan began. The number of ethnic groups began to grow in suburbs of major cities such as Detroit and Grand Rapids. Together, despite their small numbers, Chinatowns began to pop up around the state, especially in Grand Rapids. But for a while these areas remained small, they were tight knit communities that thrived off of the laundromat business, it wasn’t until closer to the twentieth century that business ventured out into convenience stores and imported Chinese products. But even then the community was small and close-knit.

           Chan Hoy was a Chinese immigrant who came to America in 1880, looking for a better life. He started his American career by helping to import goods, mainly fireworks, from China.^[1] From there he worked his way up and learned how to run a business, so when Hoy moved to Grand Rapids he took his knowledge and planned to start his own business. Hoy opened his first restaurant in 1902^[2] in Grand Rapids called Hong Far Lo located at 28 Pearl Street. This restaurant served a blend of various Chinese dishes that ranged from meat dishes all the way to noodle bowls. This ethnic food brought in a consistent Chinese customer group, a taste of home was something that they wanted and longed for as they couldn’t travel back home very easily. As for the white population in Grand Rapids there was a different initial attraction. While to some a chance to try authentic ethnic cuisine might sound like a good time many were not interested, but the luxurious style of the restaurant was enough to draw in a higher priced crowd. Hoy had put thousands of dollars into making this restaurant something beautiful and attractive to all kinds of people, “… an expense between $1700 and $1800" and he "had spared no expense in not only making the interior unique, but luxurious.”^[3] So through this Hoy had brought in a connection to the white community. Being able to have white clients during this time period was the definition of “making it big” because white men controlled the market then even more so than now. Through this luxurious show of Chinese culture Hoy was able to help unite the two communities through a small, but strong show of food. Chinese food also became more popular, with noodles dishes and dumplings being hit dishes at the restaurant.

The business continued to prosper and so did other ventures he started. In 1914 Hong Far Lo relocated to 188 Monroe Ave. While Hoy’s first restaurant began to grow he began working on opening another restaurant, Hong Yin Lo, which opened in 1909.^[4] Looking further past his restaurant businesses Hoy also had a grocery store, a few laundromats, and even a convenience store. All of which were used by various groups of people and overall helped to build a more comfortable environment for everyone living in Grand Rapids during this time. Because of all the business Hoy was able to generate, especially through Hong Far Lo, the Chinese community was starting to become more welcomed and understood by the white population. Interests in Chinese food began to spark which would, in later years, begin the interest in Chinese celebrations such as Chinese New Year. While events and places such as Hong Far Lo may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, you first have to look at what we have today and the interest of Chinese and Asian culture and how it has spread throughout the country, it all had to start somewhere. For the Grand Rapids area it started with Chan Hoy and his hard work through Hong Far Lo.

           However this restaurant didn’t just benefit the interracial communications, but also helped to strengthen the Chinese community. The Chinese community in Grand Rapids was small for a very long time, and incredibly self reliant with neighbors having to work together to survive. Chan Hoy understood this and made sure that his restaurant really benefited the community. When Hong Far Lo first opened, Hoy brought a San Francisco cook with him to help run the restaurant, but then hired roughly 14 Chinese men living in Grand Rapids to help him run his business.^[5] This was an amazing show of community at this time because on record there were only around 30 men living in Grand Rapids in 1909, so Hoy had employed nearly half of the Chinese population. By doing this he was helping to bring up his community and make sure that the Chinese people in Grand Rapids would stay, and make their own Chinatown. Later, Hoy also opened up several other businesses where he would employ people from his community. This allowed for him to become the proclaimed King of Grand Rapids Chinatown, and allowed him to make sure that the people around him were taken care of. Overall the community heavily benefited from Hoy’s business as he was able to keep jobs coming in and also provide talk about Chinese culture that would help to grow businesses already established in Grand Rapids’ Chinatown.

           While Hoy’s businesses did well during that time, they did a lot for the future of both Chinese and other immigrants. From there he was able to grow into an entrepreneur that was able to start his own business. It was not only an independently owned immigrant business, but a successful one that is based around his own culture. This was something unheard of for its time because while many independently owned businesses were around, most did not have the success and welcoming that Hoy’s business had. Because of this, he could be seen as an inspiration to other immigrant families who want to start their own businesses or who dream of a better future. Hoy and his aspirations and community connection could be seen as a beacon of light down the dark tunnel that is trying to make it as a non-white American.

  In conclusion, Hoy’s restaurant was incredibly significant to the Chinese community as he gave them jobs and hopes for better lives as well as started to connect the white community to Chinese culture and start to bring about the long road to acceptance and understanding. Even beyond the early 1900s and into the future, Hoy had many years of successful business that he was able to expand because of this he was able to show that immigrants do have a shot at the “American Dream” and wealthy lives. So while one small restaurant on Pearl Street in Grand Rapids may seem like nothing, there is actually a deep history that heavily connects to not only the local Chinese communities in Grand Rapids, but inspired many people across Michigan as a whole.

           I personally believe that many Asian American groups in Michigan can learn from Hoy and what he did for the community. Looking at the Detroit and Grand Rapids Chinatown areas I think that groups such as the DCBA (Detroit Chinatown Business Association), Detroit Chinatown website could benefit from this information as it can be spread to the community to teach more about how the business they have now were able to be made. I think it's especially important for the DCBA to have a history section about Hoy as he was one of the first businessmen in the Michigan area, so his connections to the association are strong as without him the DCBA more than likely wouldn’t be here. Beyond just Michigan I think that all Chinatowns can benefit from information like this because the more history is spread the better. While I personally don’t know much about other areas I do know that in my local Chinatown they have the Philadelphia Suns which work hard to spread information, so being able to discuss stories from beyond the Philadelphia area would be beneficial. Continuing with the idea of the suns I think that spreading the story of Hoy and how he was able to start his business and make it grow is incredibly important to my area where Chinatown is in jeopardy due to the new 76ers stadium. I think that being able to present stories of how greatly people have benefited from Chinese owned businesses will help to prove the importance of Chinatowns and help to end the stadium from being built.

^[1] www.grcmc.org, Grand Rapids Community Media Center-. 2007. “The Earliest Chinese in Grand Rapids.” History Grand Rapids. September 30, 2007. http://www.historygrandrapids.org/photoessay/1664/the-earliest-chinese-in-grand-.

^[2] Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. - Chan Hoy Was One of the Wealthiest Chinese Men in Grand Rapids during the 1900s. In 1902, He Opened an Elaborate Chinese Restaurant, the Hong Far Lo at 28 Pearl. He Brought a Cook from San Francisco and an Assistant Cook from New York, and All the Furnishings Were Imported from China. Besides Chop Suey, a Favorite of Americans, the Restaurant Introduced Diners to Many Previously Unknown Delicacies. His Various Chinese Noodle Dishes Were Extremely Popular. In 1914, Hong Far Lo Was Relocated to 188 Monroe Ave (Where the Bull’s Head Tavern Currently Is). Chan Owned Multiple Other Businesses, Including Hong Yin Lo (Opened in 1909) on the Corner of Monroe Ave and Pearl St. (Where Mojo’s Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant Is), Another Restaurant in Grand Haven, a Grocery Store, Several Laundry Businesses and an Import and Export Business. His Success Earned Him the Nickname of the ‘King of Chinatown’ in Grand Rapids. Special Thanks to Jennifer Tompkins for Sharing Her Research and to Grand Rapids Public Library for Sharing Their Archival Materials. Caricature Courtesy of the University at Buffalo Digital Collections. #APAHM | Facebook.” n.d. Www.facebook.com. Accessed July 30, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/downtowngrinc/photos/a.5662370687138219/5765218950186725/?type=3.

^[3] www.grcmc.org, Grand Rapids Community Media Center-. n.d. “Chan Hoy, King of Grand Rapids Chinatown.” History Grand Rapids. Accessed July 30, 2023. http://www.historygrandrapids.org/document/631/chan-hoy-king-of-grand-rapids-.

^[4] Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. - Chan Hoy Was One of the Wealthiest Chinese Men in Grand Rapids during the 1900s. In 1902, He Opened an Elaborate Chinese Restaurant, the Hong Far Lo at 28 Pearl. He Brought a Cook from San Francisco and an Assistant Cook from New York, and All the Furnishings Were Imported from China. Delicacies. His Various Chinese Noodle Dishes Were Extremely Popular. In 1914, Hong Far Lo Was Relocated to 188 Monroe Ave (Where the Bull’s Head Tavern Currently Is). Chan Owned Multiple Other Businesses, Including Hong Yin Lo (Opened in 1909) on the Corner of Monroe Ave and Pearl St. (Where Mojo’s Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant Is), Another Restaurant in Grand Haven, a Grocery Store, Several Laundry Businesses and an Import and Export Business. His Success Earned Him the Nickname of the ‘King of Chinatown’ in Grand Rapids. Special Thanks to Jennifer Tompkins for Sharing Her Research and to Grand Rapids Public Library for Sharing Their Archival Materials. Caricature Courtesy of the University at Buffalo Digital Collections. #APAHM | Facebook.” n.d. Www.facebook.com. Accessed July 30, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/downtowngrinc/photos/a.5662370687138219/5765218950186725/?type=3.

^[5] www.grcmc.org, Grand Rapids Community Media Center-. 2007. “The Earliest Chinese in Grand Rapids.” History Grand Rapids. September 30, 2007. http://www.historygrandrapids.org/photoessay/1664/the-earliest-chinese-in-grand-.