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FOO CHU CAFE
4215 Excelsior Blvd. was the site
of the
Foo Chu Cafe, "specializing in Cantonese foods,
prepared with the finest ingredients obtainable." Jimmy Wong
came to Minneapolis from China in 1929 and operated two
restaurants before becoming a part owner and then full owner
of the Foo Chu on 1423 E. Lake Street. The restaurant moved
to St. Louis Park in 1954, managed by Roy Morris of Wayzata.
In 1959 it was advertised as the “new” Foo Chu, newly
remodeled. It featured the Lion's Den and the Pagoda Lounge.
In 1960, Wong was denied a
liquor license by the City Council, based on Wong’s
conviction for running a gambling house. The Council
relented, however, and the Foo Chu continued on. At this
point the restaurant’s cuisine was Chinese, Polynesian, and
American.
A 1963 party marked the dedication of the new Empress Room
and the [re-]opening of the Pagoda Lounge.
Attendees included St. Louis Park Mayor Ken Wolf,
Minneapolis Mayor Arthur Naftalin, Congressman Clark
MacGregor, and various other county and state dignitaries.
Guests were treated to a three-hour, 11 course Chinese
dinner. In a sign of the times, the account stated
that there were 150 guests "counting wives."
In the swingin' 1960's, the Pagoda Lounge was known as kind
of a wild place - the spotting of a topless gown (a
mercifully short-lived fad) may have added to its huge
popularity..
In about 1971, Wong sold the Foo Chu to Robert J. Fleming
and Raymond Olson. Fleming was in a wheel chair and lived on
the second floor. When the building burned down on New
Year's Eve, 1978, he was almost killed. The building was
demolished in August 1979.
James Wong Tuong was born in 1909 in Canton, China, and died
on April 18, 1991 at the age of 82. In the 1940’s, he owned
the Gay ‘90’s and the Shangri-la restaurant downtown. In
1941 he was mistaken for Japanese and briefly detained near
Little Falls. In 1972 he opened Madam Wong’s in Blaine. He
also owned a bar in St. Francis. He retired in 1980. At his
death he was an elder in the Hip Sing Associates (Chinese
Business Association) and the Wong Family Association. His
wife Betty took over the operation of the Foo Chu and Madame
Wong's. She remarried.
Jimmy and Betty's children:
Alan Eng (Lily)
Colleen Olson (Raymond)
Joanne T. Fong (Chester Mc Swain)
Joyce Wong (Nicholas Cervenka)
Elliot Wong (Sheila)
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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.