How a Philadelphia union helped Chinatown's Sang Kee Pecking Duck House reopen
CBS News Philadelphia is learning there's more to the story about a popular restaurant in Philadelphia's Chinatown that was forced to shut down days before Christmas. The city closed it down after a steam problem caused an electrical issue, but the general manager ended up getting the help he needed from an unlikely place in time to reopen for the busy holiday rush.
The backstory
It's been a tense few months for people who live and work in Chinatown as many have objected to the city's plans to build a new Sixers arena nearby. The city's unions, on the other hand, have been big supporters of the project, so when union workers stepped up to help a longtime Chinatown restaurant, it was the unity some didn't see coming.
The shutdown
The Christmas holiday means big bucks for Chinese restaurants, so when Philadelphia's Licenses and Inspections Department (L&I) closed down Sang Kee Pecking Duck House in Chinatown days before Christmas, the general manager was desperate for help.
"And to say that he was distraught was just putting it mildly," John Chin, the executive director of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation said. "His restaurant was closed, and he needed help."
The city shut down the business because of a potential electrical hazard caused by steam in the basement from an underground pipe. The general manager said the water threatened the electrical panel and the fire alarm system, so the restaurant would need repairs and a certified letter from an electrician to re-open.
With the clock ticking, Philadelphia Councilman Mark Squilla, whose district includes the restaurant, got a call from a member of the union, IBEW Local 98. They offered to help.
"I was pretty nervous for him because everybody was in holiday cruise control," Tommy Rafter, an electrical contractor with LCN Partners and member of Local 98 said. However, Rafter knew what had to be done to ensure the safety of the restaurant and to satisfy the city's compliance requirement. Rafter said he got the job done in less than 48 hours, free of charge, and wrote the certified letter to the city.
"It's a good feeling, right at Christmas time, to help somebody. We run a small business, and I know what it's like, you want the doors open," Rafter said.
The Christmas Miracle
And so just days before Christmas, an unexpected story of togetherness emerged after months of tension.
Chinatown groups continue to fight back against the proposed Sixers arena to be built on the edge of their historic neighborhood. They say it will hurt their businesses and destroy the neighborhood's culture.
City unions, on the other hand, see the arena as an economic boost and opportunity for more jobs. That debate remains. In the meantime, Sang Kee is open again and serving customers during the busiest time of the year.
"But for this one instance, during the Christmas holiday, a 40-plus year-old restaurant, small business owner in need, yeah, we came together to figure out a solution and a solution was found and it worked," Chin said.
