Hop Shing — Closed, but not Gone
Hop Shing storefront in 2017 (PC: Rick L. from Yelp)
If you were ever in Chinatown before the pandemic, you’ve probably walked by Hop Shing. Founded in 1973, Hop Shing was one of Chinatown’s most iconic restaurants, doling out cheap Guangdong-style dim sum to lines of hungry workers every day for nearly fifty years. Sadly, Hop Shing is one of the many victims of COVID-19 and served its last plate of dim sum on March 20th, 2020.
More than just an eatery, Hop Shing was a neighborhood mainstay and meeting place for the young and the old. Even though the restaurant has closed, its legacy lives on in the hearts of generations of customers who have walked through its doors to exchange stories over coffee and the restaurant’s famous baked and roast pork buns.
Through my role at Welcome to Chinatown, I had the rare opportunity to interview Mr. Cao, who was a waiter at Hop Shing for the past ten years. In this interview, Mr. Cao reminisced about what it was like working at the popular dim sum joint and explained why the owners of Hop Shing decided to permanently close the restaurant.
Stories about establishments like Hop Shing are so important because they remind us about the fragility of the restaurant ecosystem and how important it is to support local, family-owned businesses. As you read this interview, please take a moment to appreciate the legacies that restaurants like Hop Shing have left behind so that their stories are not forgotten in the wake of this terrifying pandemic.
Trays of buns behind the counter (PC: Luna C. from Yelp)
Tell us about Hop Shing and about yourself. How long were you open?
Hello, I’m Mr. Cao, and I was a waiter at Hop Shing for ten years. I immigrated from China twelve years ago and have been living in Manhattan’s Chinatown ever since. Before moving to New York, I worked factory jobs in Taishan, China. Once I moved to the U.S., I began working in the restaurant industry. Everything I know about NYC I have learned from working at Hop Shing.
Hop Shing was around for almost fifty years. My cousin, the owner and operator, first opened Hop Shing in 1973 after moving to New York from Hong Kong, where he had prior restaurant industry experience. When he arrived in NYC, the owner of the dim sum restaurant that was Hop Shing’s predecessor at 9 Chatham Square offered him a position there. After the old restaurant closed, my cousin opened his own dim sum shop and called it Hop Shing. The rest is history.
What kind of food did you serve?
Hop Shing specialized in Guangdong-style dim sum. Fun fact: Hong Kong-style dim sum is actually derived from Guangdong-style dim sum. Hong Kong-style dim sum is more modern and is more well-known around the world, but there are a lot of commonalities between the two styles.
We were the most well-known for our baked pork buns, roast pork buns, and baked coconut custard buns. People would come from all over the world to line up for our buns!
Shrimp dumplings, shumai, turnip cake, and spareribs (PC: Montana L. from Yelp)
Who were your customers / what demographic did you cater to?
Our customer base was very diverse. After we were featured on the New York Daily News, a lot of tourists began coming to try our baked and roast pork buns. We became popular very quickly because our prices were low, and our customers were happy that they were getting a good bargain. Our regulars were old-school New Yorkers who had frequented Hop Shing for decades. Those customers oftentimes brought their children and grandchildren to the restaurant, and it was common to see multiple generations of family members at one table.
What were some of your favorite dishes from the menu?
My favorites were the baked and roast pork buns and the beef balls. The pork buns were so soft and sweet, and the beef balls were tender, juicy, and delicious.
Inside the roast pork bun (PC: Angela W. of bopomofoodie)
Beef balls (PC: Jeannie T. from Yelp)
When COVID first hit NYC, what kinds of thoughts were running through your head? What were some of the things you tried to do in the beginning?
To be honest, we really didn’t have many thoughts in the beginning. We all assumed it was going to be a temporary thing and that we could just survive off our takeout business for a few weeks until things returned to normal. After a couple days of just doing takeout, New York issued the state-wide stay-at-home order, and our business basically came to a standstill. We didn’t even have time to come up with a plan; we just started running out of cash, and the owners ultimately decided to permanently shutter the restaurant. Our last day open was March 20th, 2020.
Why did the owners of Hop Shing ultimately decide to close the restaurant?
Our lease was set to expire at the end of the year anyways, and the owners didn't think the pandemic was going to let up any time soon (they don’t think things will return to normal for at least another year or two). They decided to just close the restaurant rather than to continue operating halfheartedly.
There may be a chance that Hop Shing will open back up in the future once the pandemic is 100% behind us; however, it’s too early to say for sure at this time.
Counter with hot drinks (PC: Jeannie T. from Yelp)
Hop Shing price list from 2019 (PC: Tom C. from Yelp)
What was your greatest accomplishment or proudest moment at Hop Shing?
I’m not the owner, so I can’t speak from the owner’s perspective, but as a waiter who interacted with customers every day, my proudest accomplishments were the relationships I was able to form with our customers. I felt proud whenever I saw our customers enjoying our food, and I felt happy when I saw how well our customers were doing every time they came back.
What is your favorite memory of Hop Shing?
I don’t have an exact memory, but my favorite part about working at Hop Shing was being able to work alongside people I love and getting to see all the customers that I care so much about every day.
When I initially started working at Hop Shing, the first thing I noticed was that the boss worked alongside all the cooks and waiters and would eat alongside them as well. I loved the familial atmosphere of the restaurant. Every day, I felt like I was in the trenches alongside everyone, and I truly enjoyed my job.
What is one fun fact or something interesting that most people don’t know about Hop Shing?
Jeremy Lin once came to eat at Hop Shing. The minute he walked in, everyone at the restaurant started bombarding him because he was so well loved by the Chinatown community. He was getting so much attention that we were worried he was going to get scared and run away!
Anything else you would like people to know or talk about?
I just want the pandemic to be over. I want the economy to recover so that everyone can go back to work and make a living. Most of all, I hope that everyone can stay healthy and make it through this difficult time.
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Note: This interview was conducted in Cantonese with the help of a translator.
Chinatown establishments like Hop Shing are what makes the spirit of our neighborhood. We need your support — now more than ever before — to keep that spirit alive. Please consider making a donation to our small business relief fund, The Longevity Fund, or help us spread the word of what’s at stake. Together, we can preserve Chinatown businesses and help say “Chinatown will always be open for business.”
Closed (PC: Tsz-Cheong C. from Yelp)