More than a restaurant: Golden Inn customers share what makes it special

Otis Chan pauses while trying to sum up what the Golden Inn restaurant in Calgary's Chinatown represents to him.

"It used to be like a lighthouse," said the longtime Calgarian.

"[The owners] have done a lot for me ... above and beyond."

During a turbulent childhood and young adulthood, it was a place he could go where he knew he would be looked after by the staff, no matter how much money he had in his pockets, he says.

Many of Chan's memories growing up in the city involve spending time at the restaurant, eating, drinking ginger ale and just hanging out.

"They would actually cook me food, like, no charge. Sometimes they even sent me away with 20, 30 bucks, even with the full belly, to make sure that I had a next meal."

For 45 years, the Golden Inn has been a popular spot for family dining and connecting to the community by day. At night, it was the go-to spot that a younger generation in the city could count on to be open late.

Open nearly every day of the year, the family-run restaurant — with its iconic yellow-and-red sign and long list of regulars — is a community institution.

That's why when the family announced online last month that they would be ceasing operations by the end of August, community feedback poured in.

"It's overwhelming. It's almost shocking. We receive hundreds of comments, messages. I've actually sat there and read through every single one of them … and brought a few tears to my eyes," Raymond Lau, co-owner of the Golden Inn, said on the Calgary Eyeopener.

Raymond is the oldest son of the founders of the Golden Inn, John Lau, who is still the chef, and Kim Lau, who runs the front of the house.

Now that his parents are in retirement age, he says they've decided to shutter the business to spend more time with family. The decision wasn't an easy one as the eatery is still beloved by many.

Hailey Malicdem, a Calgary nurse who blogs about local food, made a TikTok video on what she loves about the Golden Inn. It included the news of it closing.

"I was very surprised with how much it blew up … there's so many people who also share family memories," she said.