Humble Beginnings: Opening The Tien Hoa Inn

In 1962, a local realtor was looking to sell property for a restaurant near the old Seagram Stables location at Bridgeport and Weber Streets in Waterloo. The call was answered by ten men who had recently emigrated from China. In the early days, these men would work 21 hour days and sleep only three hours a night in a home they rented together on Lincoln Road. 

Scroll through the following panels to learn more about some of these men, their stories, and their legacies.

Building a Landmark: Operating Tien Hoa

Bill Lee

Bill Lee was one of the leaders of the group of ten men who would go on to establish the Tien Hoa Inn. Bill came to Canada from China in 1953, and began working at his uncle’s restaurant in Burlington, then Oakville. He had little education at the time and spoke even less English. By the time he was 50, Bill was known in Waterloo as the “undisputed king of the Chinese food business.” Under Bill’s leadership, all of the partners worked together harmoniously and kept the successful business running smoothly. When asked for his secret to success, Bill once said that, “the boss must be a plumber, electrician, heating expert, carpenter, chef, dishwasher, floor sweeper, troubleshooter and general handyma” speaking to his work ethic and versatility as a leader.

Kuo Kiang (Ken) Lee

Ken Lee was another one of the leaders of the group of ten men who began the Tien Hoa Inn. Ken came to Canada from China in 1956 at the age of 22, speaking very little English. He was put in a grade 12 classroom in Toronto while bussing tables for minimum wage. When the group of ten men were approached with the opportunity to buy into a restaurant only five years later, Ken had managed to save $10,000 all while sending money back to China to support his parents. Ken passed away in 2022 and is remembered for his incredibly strong work ethic, generosity, and kindness to his community through his role at the Tien Hoa Inn and beyond. 

To learn more about Ken’s story and legacy, listen to this interview with his sons Richard and Raymond.

George Lee

George came to Canada in 1957 at the age of 17, bringing two of his younger brothers with him from their home in Southern China. George first arrived in San Francisco before travelling to Vancouver and settling in Ontario. As a cousin of Bill Lee, George would eventually connect with and become one of the ten men who invested in the Tien Hoa Inn. In the early 90s, George became Tien Hoa’s sole owner, also opening the Tien Sun Inn in Cambridge. After nearly half a century working in the restaurant business, George retired, closing Tien Hoa. But he did not leave Chinese cuisine behind. Twelve years after closing the Tien Hoa Inn, George started hosting a series of cooking classes to share his knowledge and re-connect with his customers.

To learn more about his story, listen to this interview with George. 

The Legacy of the Tien Hoa Inn

After 44 years, the Tien Hoa Inn closed its doors in 2004 under the ownership of George Lee. Tien Hoa had become a landmark to the people of Kitchener-Waterloo and a gathering place for families and friends. Many were heartbroken at the announcement, and many more who grew up in Kitchener-Waterloo remember the restaurant fondly. Visit the Tien Hoa Inn’s Facebook page and read the many memories shared by loyal Tien Hoa fans.

Operating China Kitchen: Gordon Mah

Gordon Mah, the first owner of China Kitchen, had a passion for sharing Chinese food with his community. This not only involved the restaurant, but also the instruction of anyone and everyone interested on how to prepare a Chinese feast. Gordon began offering cooking lessons through the local YMCA in 1971 at the cost of $25 per person. As a result, Gordon would become known locally and in advertisements as “Gord the Chinese food man.”

Advertising China Kitchen

In advertisements, China Kitchen boasted their fast takeout and home delivery services, a rarity in the days before Uber Eats and Skip the Dishes. They prioritized quality food at fair prices and encouraged their patrons to come in and sit down in their restaurant. After over 20 years of sharing Chinese-Canadian cuisine with the local community, China Kitchen closed its doors in 1991 while under new management.

Grand Grill

The Grand Grill first opened in 1960 in the former location of Graham’s Grill, a restaurant that opened in 1945. Noon Sito, Chow Sito, and David Ing, the proprietors of Grand Grill, held a grand re-opening in 1966 after renovating and redecorating the restaurant. The trio had already been serving Waterloo for over half a decade after leaving Woodstock, where they were also in the restaurant business. After seven weeks of renovations, Grand Grill offered roses to the first 100 women who came to the new Grand Grill. The restaurant remained open until 1976.

The Lantern Restaurant

The Lantern Restaurant opened in 1977 under the management of Thang V. Lao. They specialized in Chinese food, but offered hamburgers and french fries on their menu. The Lantern Restaurant closed in 1991 after serving Waterloo for 14 years.

Fung King Restaurant

In 1992, Truong Chi opened Fung King Restaurant, making it the fourth restaurant to open at this location. Unfortunately, this restaurant had a short life and closed its doors in 1995.

Little else is known about the Lantern Restaurant and Fung King Restaurant – do you know more? Reach out to us on our Facebook or Instagram @waterloomuseum or email museum@waterloo.ca.

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace opened its doors in 1997 under the management of Kathryn Lau. Crystal Palace currently offers some of the finest Chinese dishes in Waterloo. They take pride in their traditional Chinese dishes with authentic recipes and tasty ingredients. 

Their menu includes dim sum and they encourage customers to try their orange chicken, hot and sour soup with chicken, and their beef moo shu. Visit Crystal Palace’s website and treat yourself to some local Chinese cuisine!

Advertising Dragon Court

Dragon Court was a clear favourite of the community, making the Reader’s Choice list in the Waterloo Chronicle in 2005. Their menu centred Szechuan and Cantonese cuisine, rather than Chinese-Canadian dishes. A review of the restaurant on Zomato reads, “Dragon Court - a sensation for your tastebuds. If you're looking for Canadianized Chinese Cuisine - this may not be the place for you. But if you're looking for some of the best, most fantastically amazing Szechuan in town - you've found it!” It goes on to recommend their hot and sour soup, Szechuan noodles, and the star of Dragon Court – their string beans in hot sauce. Barbara Wong, the owner of Dragon Court, was then described as a woman who always has a smile on her face and is happy to see what her customers order. 

Dragon Court’s Community Work

In 1991, ACCKWA (The AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area) hosted a luncheon on November 29th to commemorate Worlds AIDS Day, observed on December 1st. To contribute to the fundraising, Dragon Court Restaurant was one of the four establishments to donate food to the event alongside the Charcoal Steak House, The Chicken House, and the Purple Turtle. Though this was not the only time that Dragon Court would give back to its community.

Four years earlier, Dragon Court made a personal pledge toward maintaining the excellence of Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Waterloo. They were one of many local business to donate to the “We’re For You” campaign that targeted the development of programmes for the universities. The Lantern Restaurant, Shin Shin, and the Tien Hoa Inn also donated to this cause.

Operating Shin Shin Restaurant

Barbara Wong prided herself on bringing cuisines from Taiwan to Kitchener-Waterloo, sharing “Homestyle food [that’s] really the true Chinese style, not Canadian Chinese.” According to Barbara, the name Shin Shin meant “sunrise, bright future” as well as “Welcome people to our house. We hope you enjoy the food.” The combination of these names brought very good luck to the restaurant.

Closing Shin Shin

After eight years at this King Street location, the City of Waterloo bought the property with plans to construct the parking garage that exists today. At this time, many restaurants were suffering as a result of the economy and Huo Sheng Wang could not afford to relocate the restaurant.  And so, after ten years of serving Kitchener-Waterloo, Huo, sole owner of the restaurant at this time, made the hard decision to close Shin Shin.

Sing Lee Laundry

Very little is know about Sing Lee laundry at 124 King Street South. The Vernon Directories held at the Kitchener Public Library tell us that Sing Lee was its proprietor, operating for the laundry for six years from 1923-1929.

Do you know more about Sing Lee or his laundry? Reach out to us on our Facebook or Instagram @waterloomuseum or email museum@waterloo.ca.

66 King Street South

From 1906 to 1947, 66 King Street South was the location of a successful laundry. The business was first owned by Charlie Sing until ownership passed to Joseph Lee. Lee operated the laundry for another five years. In 1928, the business became known as "Hop Wo Laundry" and remained so for an impressive 19 years until 1947. 

Charlie Sing

Charlie was born in China in 1859 and came to Canada in 1888 at the age of 29. Charlie was one of the thousands of Chinese men who helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway. He arrived in Waterloo around 1906, opening “Best Laundry” in that same year. Charlie would run this laundry for 15 years before passing ownership to Joe Lee in 1921.

Joe Lee

We know very little about Joe Lee, the second owner of the laundry at 66 King Street South. The laundry was not under his ownership for long, though, as he is only listed as the proprietor for four years from 1921-1925.

Do you know more about Joe Lee or his laundry? Reach out to us on our Facebook or Instagram @waterloomuseum or email museum@waterloo.ca.

Hop Wo Laundry

In 1926, 66 King Street South became known as “Hop Wo Laundry.” Under this name, the laundry became more successful as it served the public until 1946. Its owner became a well known downtown Waterloo personality who was affectionally known as the "friendly laundryman." His true name remains a mystery.

While we previously assumed his name to be “Hop Wo,” as many other Chinese laundries took their name from their proprietors, we have yet to trace any man by this name living in Kitchener-Waterloo. After further research, we have uncovered that Hop Wo is the name of a village in Toishan County in China. So, it is possible that this laundry was named for the proprietor’s home village, making his name an even deeper mystery. 

Can you help find the identity of Hop Wo’s proprietor? Reach out to us on our Facebook or Instagram @waterloomuseum or email museum@waterloo.ca.