Restoration to Help Us Open Our Dining Room!

Hi, my name is Jordan. I am an operator of Neo-China Restaurant in Durham, a local favorite founded by my grandmother and her family after emigrating from Taiwan. Founded in April of 1990, we've been serving the Durham community for 33 years.

Unfortunately, as we all know, COVID shutdowns impacted the food-service industry heavily. Staff shortages and rising costs are some of the difficult challenges that have sadly caused many restaurants to close their doors, and our community is not without casualties. While my elders have done their best to keep our doors open to serve you, the challenges of the shutdowns combine with the challenges of being first-generation Americans, and they have struggled to revitalize the business in the wake of the rapidly changing landscape.

That's where I (and hopefully, you, the community I love and serve) come in. As part of the first generation from my family to be born here, I was raised in the restaurant itself. From a young age, I've been preparing myself for the eventual taking over of operations of Neo-China Restaurant from my elders, so that they may transition to the retirement phase of their hard-working lives. From working with my family until going to culinary and business school, to working in over a dozen diverse culinary settings, I've spent my life preparing to take care of the family business.

I have recently returned to Neo-China, called in to start taking over and trying to get our dining room open, which has been closed since the COVID shutdowns. One of the biggest hurdles I face is updating and restoring the dining room to our standard of service. While we have survived, we have not thrived. With our loyal customers asking every day about when Neo-China will reopen its dining room, I feel pressure on top of my desire to serve the community.

The thing is, I'm afraid to open up after such a long time with only old, worn-out furniture and old plate ware. I'm afraid that the first impression made by this will ultimately hurt rather than help. That is why I humbly ask for help from you, the community, so that I may fulfill your wishes.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to our story at Neo-China. Any donations collected will be diverted solely for the restoration of our dining room. Our action items include the following:

-Resurfacing of tables, updating chairs and booths

-Replacing earthen, glass, and metal wares

-Installing new network, wifi, and point-of-sales systems

Thank you again, now and in advance. I hope to be serving you soon!