Name: Longtime owner of Chinatown institution Sam Wo doesn’t want to stop working — but he might have to
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Longtime owner of Chinatown institution Sam Wo doesn’t want to stop working — but he might have to

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This is part of The Chronicle's Landmark Watch series, where reporters check in on the Bay Area's longtime businesses during the pandemic. If you have a suggestion, .At 112-year-old Chinatown legend Sam Wo Restaurant, longtime owner David Ho is doing everything these days.He’s buying all the ingredients, lifting 50-pound bags of rice up the restaurant’s steep stairs. He’s cooking every item on Sam Wo’s menu, from the rice noodle rolls stuffed with pork to the jook studded with preserved egg. He’s washing dishes and scrubbing the floors.But Ho, 62, is tired. His body is full of aches and pains. He’s scared of catching the coronavirus. Still, he doesn’t want to stop working, despite the pleas of his business partners. Even his daughter has expressed concerns he’s working too hard without a staff to back him up, according to co-owner Steven Lee, who helped .“He’s really afraid that if we shut it down, people will think we’re closed permanently,” said Lee.Sam Wo originally opened shortly after the 1906 earthquake and has long been on visitors’ bucket lists for its tiny dining rooms packed into a narrow multistory building, its affordable Cantonese food and its overall longevity. It’s quirky and charming — and was formerly home to the late Edsel Ford Fung, known as “the world’s rudest waiter.”Lee recently assembled Ho, who has run the restaurant for about 40 years and only speaks Cantonese, and Sam Wo’s investors for a frank discussion: Can the restaurant continue as it has been these past few months? Should it?During the pandemic, Sam Wo’s main income has been from feeding food-insecure individuals through . The restaurant worked with two other nonprofits to feed people in need this summer, but those efforts have already run out of money. In early December, HelpKitchen told Lee it could not guarantee funding past January. Lee said Sam Wo would be forced into if that program disappears, because its takeout business doesn’t add up to enough income. However, HelpKitchen has since secured months of funding for restaurants like Sam Wo.Deciding whether it’s worthwhile to continue or temporarily close is a situation many Bay Area restaurants are facing, but it feels extra weighty for legacy businesses — and for restaurants like Sam Wo that are so integral to the identity of Chinatown, a neighborhood that started struggling even before March’s first shutdown orders hit . Chinatown leaders are now , fearing many small businesses won’t survive the pandemic otherwise.With Ho’s body taking a toll, Lee said the investors all hoped Ho would take a much-deserved break and rest up. Nonprofit funding aside, that would mean temporarily shutting down the restaurant — Ho is Sam Wo’s only full-time worker, after he had to lay off 23 employees back in March. On some days, he has part-time help in the kitchen, but there is no one he trusts to run the place in his absence. He’s interviewing new cooks, but it’s tough finding the right person.“Mr. Ho wants to make sure new cooks cook the Sam Wo way — it’s a certain way over these 100 years,” Lee said. “A lot of these cooks just want to get their paycheck and leave. They don’t really care about the tradition. That’s why Mr. Ho is still hanging in here.”Ho was the main chef at Sam Wo for many years, but when the restaurant reopened in 2015, he stepped back to oversee the kitchen instead. Lee said he hopes Ho returns to a supervisory role.Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.But right now, Sam Wo can’t exactly afford to bring on new staff. The restaurant is paying 50% of rent, which comes to $2,800 a month. Lee said the restaurant can survive if it earns at least $200 per day, but that’s tough when the average check size is $12. Loyal regulars still come to Sam Wo, but there’s only so much takeout one person can order.While it’s possible the will result in fewer people heading out for takeout, it doesn’t dramatically impact Sam Wo. The restaurant never bothered attempting outdoor dining because the restaurant is perched on a steep slope. It also never tried indoor dining because of its small, narrow size.Related StoriesThat means it all comes down to HelpKitchen’s funding — or if Sam Wo can link up with another nonprofit effort. While January and February are traditionally booming for Chinatown because of Lunar New Year celebrations, this winter only promises quiet and darkness.“We’re Sam Wo. We’re an icon,” Lee said. “We don’t want to close. We don’t want to lose it.”Sam Wo. Takeout and delivery. 713 Clay St., San Francisco. 415-989-8898 orThis story was updated to reflect HelpKitchen receiving more funding for Sam Wo.Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: Twitter:Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

This is part of The Chronicle's Landmark Watch series, where reporters check in on the Bay Area's longtime businesses during the pandemic. If you have a suggestion, .At 112-year-old Chinatown legend Sam Wo Restaurant, longtime owner David Ho is doing everything these days.He’s buying all the ingredients, lifting 50-pound bags of rice up the restaurant’s steep stairs. He’s cooking every item on Sam Wo’s menu, from the rice noodle rolls stuffed with pork to the jook studded with preserved egg. He’s washing dishes and scrubbing the floors.But Ho, 62, is tired. His body is full of aches and...

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Janelle Bitker

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Longtime owner of Chinatown institution Sam Wo doesn’t want to stop working — but he might have to

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