Farewell, Mark You

Friday, February 02, 2007

From the Fall River Herald News:

"After 70 years of serving up chow mein and other Chinese and American dishes in the Flint, Mark You Restaurant will retire its wok for good on Sunday night.

Owner Gary Tow said the locally famous family restaurant is closing because of financial reasons. He said he can't afford to bring the building up to today's strict fire code. That, and business has been slow in recent years.

"I feel sad," Tow said. "I felt that eventually the day was going to come. I would rather have closed on my own terms."Tow said it would cost some $40,000 to $50,000 for a sprinkler system and other updates to the art deco restaurant and kitchen.He learned he was in violation of mandated fire codes in November and has had several visits from Fall River Fire and Building Department officials since then. The new mandates are a result of The Station nightclub fire that occurred in February 2003."They assume because we've been here so long we have the money," Tow said. "The Fall River economy in the last few years hasn't been so good."Tow, 55, said he grew up at Mark You, a family business his late father, Danny Tow, started in 1937. "This is all I know," said Tow."

Comment:

I grew up knowing "Chinese Food" as food from "Mark You's." Our family was blue collar and I grew up on a budget and stress about money. Going "out to eat" was a big treat and one of the places we would go on a special Friday or Saturday night was Mark You's. I will always remember the chicken chow mein, the little juke boxes at each table, the breaded veal and mashed potatoes with brown gravy (which, I never thought was strange to have at a Chinese Restaurant becasue it's what I grew up with.) I'm sad to hear that Mark You is closing down.

The AP told me it was closing down on Sunday, and I had to know why. My first guess was that old Mary had finally passed away. but as you can see, that's not the case. It's the fire code. It's dissapointing that the city can't find a way to work with established businesses over new health and safety codes. The last thing Fall River needs is yet another abandoned business.

So, my back east friends, if you can, have a chicken chow mein or a breaded veal plate for me this weekend. I wish I could be there to buy an order myself.

Farewell, Mark You!