Nom Wah Tea Parlor

Chinatown Restaurants Suffering Amid Coronavirus Fears

"Operating for almost 100 years, Nom Wah Tea Parlor's owner Wilson Tang describes Chinatown as a ghost town: typically perpetually packed, the spot saw business down 40 percent on February 3 and experienced its slowest Monday in five years, with staff being let go early as traffic dried up. Tang says the situation is unprecedented, worries that Lunar New Year events like Super Saturday may not happen, and fears for how long mom-and-pop shops can withstand the downturn, calling it "a slap in the face" and noting the neighborhood's unease is compounded by a recent fire that destroyed the archives of the Museum of the Chinese in America." - Chris Crowley