We had that in my hometown once. The Chinese place became a pizzeria. The Italian dragon carvings were really authentic.
Pretty sure both iterations were money laundering fronts, though. The fried rice was still solid.
A chinese restaurant that became a pizzareia and managed to not sacrifice it’s fried rice quality in the process is the best thing I’ve heard all week.
I worked at a combination Chinese restaurant/ pizzeria. The General Tso’s Chicken Pizza, and Crab Rangoon Pizza were both delicious.
Just because you launder money doesn’t mean you can’t still go for that Michelin star.
i have no doubt, that there are plenty of restaurants, that started as a money laundering front, but ended up becoming successful.
It depends. If the Michelin star attracts more wealthy clients that use credit cards over cash, it’s going to be challenging to justify the money you’re bringing in.
You could go the luxury “cheap” food route: tacos or burgers costing $20 a plate.
Likely still have cash clientele so you can launder money.
Fun fact there is actually precedent of money laundering restaurants going legit because they started producing more money than they were laundering.
Make Some Noise did this as a bit very recently - one mafioso is too invested in the front business
My local Chinese restaurant doesn’t accept cards.
Up until recently it wasn’t a big deal, they’d point to the ATM at the grocery store next door and say, “ATM right there! No card! No card!” while tapping the cash only sign.
Unfortunately that grocery store closed last month. I hope they make it because I love the family that owns the place.
After Covid though, the cleanliness went downhill big time there. I mean, to a shocking degree.
During the peak of the pandemic they stuck a table in front of the doors and trusted customers to pay and take correct change themselves. That meant the world to me.
Buuuuut. They went from the cleanest restaurant in town to a place that looks like it hasn’t been mopped since 2019. It’s like the pandemic made them lazy and they never recovered.
Maybe not lazy, maybe a key person got long covid or something.
Nah they’re all in there. I’ve known them since I was about 5 years old.
They legit just stopped cleaning it. The last time I went in there I noticed thick black dirt in front of the drink cooler, so I peered over the counter and it was the same all the way back in the kitchen. I couldn’t even eat my food.
It sucks too because it has always been my favorite spot to eat. I used to take my daughter every weekend.
She still eats there haha. She says she don’t care, it’s too good to give up.
The counters and cookers all look clean, they just stopped mopping the place it seems.
This place is called “el sol” in Harrisonburg, VA of you every want to check it out. I stopped by once during a road trip but unluckily it was closed that day😭.
Pretty adorable tbh.
“Los mexicanos nacemos donde se nos da la rechingada gana.”
