Sang Kee closed: Beloved Chinatown restaurant shut down indefinitely due to electrical issues
PHILADELPHIA - The headaches at Sang Kee started years ago but really ramped up Friday when water damage and steam pouring from a pipe caused so many electrical problems that the city shut it down. Now, the owners are hoping for a Christmas miracle.
"I watched 'Elf' last night, so I don’t know if it will help, but it was funny and it gave us a little smiles, laughs," said Henry Chow of Sang Kee restaurant.
There isn't much holiday cheer on 9th Street after the beloved Sang Kee restaurant closed indefinitely, putting almost 30 people out of work.
The city's Department of Licenses and Regulations shut the place down due to electrical problems that could be stemming from steam billowing from a pipe.
"We get hundreds of people that come in a day. When three, five, or ten people come in and say, 'Hey, I’m getting burned by this hot steam out here, what are you gonna do about it?' I’m like, I have no idea!" Chow said.
Chow has been begging for help from any agency he can, from the Water Department to Vicinity Energy, the company that operates the pipes, all with no answers.
"It’s just unbelievable. It’s really, really saddening, and it’s not even just for us. It’s for the whole Philadelphia community, and the outpouring of support has just been unreal," he said.
"I’m devastated. I really love this place. This is the only place I come to in Center City to get Chinese food—the best food, the best service," said Layla from North Philly.
Loyal customers of the more than 40-year-old restaurant kept coming all day, shocked by news of the shutdown.
"As long as it’s not dealing with the health department, I will do whatever I can to help them open back up. I wanna do it!" Layla added.
"I just feel bad for the restaurant itself, the owners, and the workers, and hopefully they will get it fixed," said Thao Tran of Ocean City Restaurant.
"Either no one knows what to do, no one knows how to do it, or no one wants to take responsibility," Chow said.
That’s the most frustrating part—not knowing how to move forward, with no end in sight during their busiest time of the year.
"How would you like it if you weren’t allowed to work for something out of your control and you didn’t know if you were going to get another paycheck? You couldn’t tell your employees if they had a job still?" Chow asked.
There is still no word yet from the water department, but Vicinity Energy says the company is actively working with the water department to do a root-cause analysis.