Golden Inn Restaurant in Calgary reflects on shutting down next month

The Golden Inn Restaurant, an absolutely iconic Chinese restaurant in Calgary, is closing for good at the end of this month.

Having first opened in 1977, this spot for authentic Chinese dishes is closing after 45 years in service. The last day of operations will be Saturday, August 27.

Dished recently spoke to Raymond Lau, co-owner of Golden Inn (with his parents John and Kam), about the decision to shut down the restaurant and the more than four decades of the family’s time serving YYC.

Lau is the oldest of three brothers at this restaurant that’s truly been a family-operated business all these years.

“My parents opened the restaurant in 1977,” Lau told Dished in an email. “Same location and same owners ever since. It’s a truly family-run operation.”

“My parents, uncles and aunts have all worked there for 40+ years. My brothers and I used to work and help out at the restaurant on weekends and during the summer break and holidays,” Lau added.

Golden Inn Restaurant/Facebook

Calgary’s Chinatown started out as just a couple of buildings back in the 1970s, and it has grown so much since then, the community is incredibly tight.

Many of the business owners know and hang out with each other after work. Those other businesses will miss this place, we will miss it, and the Golden Inn will miss the community right back.

“Golden Inn is so much more than just a restaurant to my family and I,” Lau told us.

“It’s essentially been our second home. It’s where we grew up, where we spent our free time, where we met so many amazing people and where we celebrated milestones, big and small — weddings, birthdays, 100-day baby celebrations, and of course, many late-night get-togethers.

“Everything we did was always in Chinatown from eating at other restaurants, shopping for groceries, haircuts, Chinese school, kung fu lessons, doctors appointments, eye exams, etc…” continued Lau.

Now that Lau and his family are ending this 45-year run and closing the restaurant, it’s offered a chance to truly reflect on the entire generational journey.

“My parents arrived here in Calgary in the 1970s, with really nothing but the clothes on their back,” said Lau.

“My family and I have been committed to serving the very best in Chinese cuisine, authentic and delicious food that my parents put their heart and soul into, and we’ve been doing it for 45 years.”

“We’re so proud to have been a part of the Calgary community for so long — to support the community and to help spread Chinese culture to Calgarians,” he added.

So what led to this decision to shut the restaurant down after so many years in business?

“As you can imagine, running a restaurant isn’t easy,” Lau told us. “My parents are in their 60s and 70s. We knew this moment would come one day, and we’ve been considering it for a while now.”

“After a lot of deliberation, it just felt like now was the natural time for us to step away, give my parents a well-deserved break, and allow them to find some balance in life as they focus on their next phase in life.”

“It was a very difficult decision.”

Golden Inn Restaurant

We will miss the massive menu of Chinese dishes, especially the famous salt and pepper squid that is well known as one of the best in the city. It was Lau’s favourite dish as well.

“I order it every single time,” he said. “I always order the salt and pepper squid at every Chinese restaurant we go to just to try it and nothing compares to ours.”

It’s been incredibly busy at the Golden Inn Restaurant since the announcement of the closure, but hopefully, you can still find time to find a table and order the salt and pepper squid.

The response and support shown by Calgarians have been incredible to the team here.

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“It’s caught us by surprise and we’re so touched by it — it’s a reminder that we’ve created quite the legacy and Golden Inn has been an iconic Calgary establishment for so long,” said Lau.

“A lot of people are sad to see us go, and believe me, so are we. We’ve received hundreds of messages from people sharing their memories, favourite dishes, and what they love about Golden Inn, and that’s been really awesome to see — we’ve read through them all.”

“On behalf of my family and I, we just want to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported us over the years — we have so many wonderful memories and we’ve developed lifelong friendships, and we are so thankful for the time we’ve had together,” he added.

The restaurant will remain open until Saturday, August 27, offering diners one last chance to say goodbye.

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Golden Inn Restaurant

Address: 107 2nd Avenue SE, Calgary

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