San Francisco Cafe Owner Struggles to Survive Pandemic and Tragedy
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- Опубликовано: 30 апр 2021
- The owner of ICafe in San Francisco’s Chinatown has weathered both the pandemic and the loss of her business partner. Joe Rosato Jr. reports.
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The f? Newsom got some pandemic aid for his wine shop but this lady can't get any for her bakery?
My dad used to hang out at I-Cafe back in the 70 - 80s. This cafe brings back so many memories of the good days. Now Chinatown is ruined due to a certain group of people robbed and vandalized the area. Seniors getting robbed. Very sad! I guess only this group matters, everyone else is not to them.
@treezy ... as a native San Franciscan, and born and raised in Chinatown, The bakery was called Wonder bakery. It was a good bakery back in the days. The owner was a Yee and kept the bakery for decades. The Yee family sold it to Mr. Chu, not Noble. He operated it for almost 30 years. He finally sold it to Noble Chu back in 2017. He changed the name to I-cafe San Francisco. He hired the current owner as a counter person and became very, very close to her. The spouse did not even know they were close. Surprisingly, Noble passed away. The new owner, Hanna continue tell the Noble was in Asia as all the neighbors asked about Noble. The fact he passed away, so why lie to the neighbors. I know the facts since I know Mr. Chu who operated Wonder bakery for over 30 years and met Noble when he purchased the business and introduced myself to him. There is something fishy about the current owner. I am not alone.
I remember seeing and talking to Mr. Chu at I-Cafe before the pandemic. Since the pandemic I haven’t visit Chinatown for a year, and after watching this I am shocked to know that he passed away 🙁. R.I.P Mr. Chu🙏
She works hard and the govt does not give her aid, but then people who do not work hard or at all, get govt aid. Totally backwards.
Is because the democrats want all small businesses to die for good. That way their big corporate friends will the only ones left. Just like Gavin Newsom was taking all the government aid that was supposed to go to small businesses.
The banks were working together with him to get him the money all while he and his crook friends ate at their French laundry restaurant. Wich never closed during the pandemic and they kept the money coming in.
All other small businesses/ restaurants had to close and suffer.
Everything in America is backwards.
Laws, government, the system, the politicians, even the communities and society. A backwards mess altogether.
She received thousands in grants. She did not reveal the entire truth. There is more to this story. I know. I am across the street and I knew the owners. She was just a counter person and very close friend to the owner that passed away.
I wish I was there, I would love to support her and try everything
Imma pull up real quick for some of those egg custards. Support this local business!
This bakery have the best pastries- i go here each time i visit Chinatown.
I am Chinese American and i approve this bakery.
What a great story
faked news
I hear people receiving pandemic aid money and buy luxury cars and houses. This deserving lady did not get any help? WOW! System is messed up.
Zang! You go girl!
RIP Nobu Chu. My sincerest condolences to his family. Their cafe has delicious BBQ pork pineapple buns, but the egg tarts aren't my favorite. I prefer egg tarts with flaky crust. Before the pandemic I use to go there during some of my breaks to sit down, relax, eat a delicious BBQ pork pineapple bun and drink an ice milk tea. I wish Hanna Zhang the best of luck in her business. I'll stop by for some BBQ pork pineapple buns when I'm nearby.
@treezy.... As a native San Franciscan and born and raised in Chinatown, I knew the original owner of Wonder bakery that was started by Mr. Yee. He ran the business for 20 years and sold it to Mr. Chu ( not related to Noble.) Mr. Chu ran Wonder bakery for nearly 30 years. He was part of the community. He sold the business back in 2017 to Noble Chiu AKA Kwok K. Chiu. He eventually changed the name from Wonder bakery to I-cafe San Francisco. He changed the menu and raised prices. Wonder bakery was known for the fresh pineapple bun that were for .50 cents. The new owner, Noble changed the name at city Hall. The new menu and pricing chased away 90 percent of the customers that used the bakery as a place to meet friends. The pineapple bun and baked goods became smaller and quality dropped. The customers that came to Wonder bakery now I-cafe San Francisco went to Garden Bakery on Jackson Street that sold the fresh baked pineapple buns for .60 cents still to this day. Noble Chiu passed away but Hanna who was very, very close to Noble did not tell the community when asked. I asked many times since I got to know Noble. Hanna kept telling the people that Noble is in Asia. After 3-4 month, the community found out he passed away. Why lie about his death? or keep it a secret? Last year, 2020, Hanna, AKA Zhang Xiao Fan officially registered the business as I-cafe Chinatown. She lied about not getting any help. She received Grants and funding. There were many people in the community that helped her. She should not lie about not getting help. Joe Rosato Jr. did not do its research on this bakery and background. I-cafe San Francisco was owned by Noble Chiu AKA Kwok K. Chiu. Hanna AKA Zhang Xiao Fan only worked for Noble. She was not a business partner. Many people in the community do not trust her.
A community leader told me yesterday she was so upset about the story. She helped Hanna. I urge you to go online to check San Francisco public records. thank you.
Those wraps though...
it's pitiful how small, minority businesses are being turned down from the COVID-19 fund and they only need a fraction of what other American businesses need to operate; while more affluencial business with Political power, Napa's French Laundry, is able to get $$Hundreds of $$ to sustain themselves.
Do a Gofundme....
I just stopped by today, it’s really yummy!
My fellow Asians Are Hard-Working People. Take Care!
I love this how powerful n strong she is
If you're a small business owner in a blue state... prepare to get kulak'd. A virtue signalling piece like this the best help you're gonna get
No way
Yo where’s the Pacific Islanders business owners?
You voted bue...
Now reap what you sow.
Cakes
gentrify the city.
Millionaires asking for help
@Masha Grace you know nothing of The Chinese in SF
I grew up in SF Chinatown and yes many of the shop owners are wealthy but not all. By dismissing this bakery lady, you are pushing the narrative that Asians don’t need or deserve help.
Well this struggling shop owner did not seem like it to me and owing a business and having a million isn’t all that much, that gets spend quick with the business expenses. Plus her spouse died so i will assume she had expenses from that too. Especially that she almost had to close her bakery.
But you are sort of right, I know of 1-2 very wealthy business owners (trust fund rich people) who applied and received pandemic funds and they didn’t even need it. They had no shame taking that money either, they thought trump was doing them a good deed and they deserved that and from what I heard laughed about it too. I don’t know if the received more this time around. Yet this woman’s struggling business didn’t get anything, which is ridiculous and unfair!
@Masha Grace if one is living in a million dollar home they already are. Many people own multiple homes.
Abandon San Francisco.
The previous owner, Mr. Chu sold to the bakery to Noble 5 years ago. Noble was an owners that was a good neighbor. He worked with the Waverly Place Merchants. I can not say this about Hanna, the current owner of I-cafe. She has been illegally dumping garbage across the street for months. She DID receive thousands in GRANTS. She worked at I-cafe and was a very close friend of Noble and inherited the business since the WIFE did not want to continue the business. I remember asking Hanna where was Noble. She replied that he was in Asia. It was not until a few months that the Waverly Place merchants found out that she lied and he had passed away. Why did she have to lie to the community about Noble ? Another thing is she does not know how to bake. I can not believe this NBC story, it is not the entire truth.
This is not about YOU..
this is all about your homeland CCP.
And what you all need to do is call out your homeland and tell us who's side you are on.. thats what's important
I don't understand the context of your statement. What does this have to do with the CCP?
@@cindyyeevan7160 we asians dont care about your personal situations. We want to know who's side you all are on... there are no confusion between north koreans and South Koreans..
You all voted blue... now reap what you sow. We dont care about your trials and tribulations.. we all got our own problems..
@@kkim1177 wtf are you talking about? we're Americans and not all of us voted blue.
@@tonictee Majority of you all voted blue because you didn't like the phrase 'china virus'. But in the end the blue is the one hurting you all. trump was our friend...
@@kkim1177 so what does this have to do with her business? with her limited english, she probably didn't even vote or heard of the phrase. just cuz the stupid celebrities, the democrats and news media say that "china virus" is racist, that doesn't mean us regular folks agree.