The Hu Ke Lau Has Become Part of the Fabric of Chicopee - and the Region

By Joseph Bednar

05/14/2008- Business West

By GEORGE O'BRIEN  
Andy Yee says that, above all else, consistency has been the key to the Hu Ke Lau's success and longevity. 
 
 

When Johnny Yee opened the Hu Ke Lau restaurant in April 1965, Chicopee's Memorial Drive was a much different place, in many respects. Just ask Yee's son, Andy, who was 5 when the then-60-seat eatery served its first customers, and has witnessed 43 years of change and evolution that is ongoing.

He remembers when B-52 bombers would scream overhead every day as what was then Westover Air Force Base, a Strategic Air Command (SAC) facility, was teeming with activity at the height of the Vietnam War. He watched the birth, development, and ultimate demise of the Fairfield Mall, just a few blocks down the street, as well as the rise of a new shopping center on that site, anchored by Wal-Mart.

He's seen car dealers come and go, hotels go up and change names (often repeatedly), and chain stores and restaurants appear and disappear. And now, he's speculating about what might come next in the shadow of Turnpike Exit 5.

The fact that's he's been witness to all this and more is testimony to his father's ability to create something unique, diverse, and consistent - qualities that have enabled the restaurant and dinner theater to stay in the same place and in the same family for more than four decades. In so doing, it has bucked the long odds facing those in the hospitality sector.

The Hu Ke Lau has, by Yee's calculations, anyway, the second-longest-running Polynesian floor show in the country - there's one in Las Vegas, at the Tropicana, that's been going since the late '50s, he said. The Hu Ke Lau's show, a 90-minute tour of the South Pacific islands, as Yee calls it, changes each quarter, but has taken the same basic theme since Lyndon Johnson was in the White House.

Over the years, the venue has added comedy shows - a host of famous names have appeared there - and become a popular stop for bus tours heading to Western Mass. or passing through on their way to somewhere else. For these reasons and others, people often use the terms 'landmark' and 'institution,' when they reference the Hu Ke Lau, because it is much more than simply a restaurant.

How it achieved that status is a function of Johnny Yee's vision, imagination, perseverance, and commitment to the community through a host of philanthropic efforts. It remains a landmark today, five years after its founder's passing, due to the diligence of surviving family members, including four children, to carry on the many traditions - including those philanthropic tendencies - and create some new ones.

The Johnny Yee Scholarship Golf Tournament is an example of both. Staged over three courses, it is one of the largest benefit tournaments in the region, and last year grossed more than $100,000, with proceeds going toward scholarships for area students looking to enter the hospitality industry.

"My father was very generous with area schools," said Andy. "He was always saying, 'which high school should I give to this quarter?' He thought that part of being successful was giving back to the community, and we honor that spirit today."

Likewise, family members also honor Johnny Yee's strong work ethic, commitment to customer service, and entrepreneurial drive.

"My father was told that in America, the sidewalks were paved with gold," said Yee. "What they didn't tell him was how hard he was going to have to work to get to that sidewalk. I think we're still successful, and we've been here so long when so many other places have come and gone, because of the standards he set."

Show Time

"Fishing party."

That's the literal translation of the phrase Hu Ke Lau in Chinese, said Andy Yee. "My father saw it on a sign on a shack while he was on his honeymoon. He liked it, and it just stuck with him all those years."

Indeed, it would be a while before Johnny Yee, who came to the U.S. from southern China in 1951 with some dreams and a good amount of entrepreneurial spirit, would put that name on a restaurant. His first business venture was a dry-cleaning operation, said Andy, noting that his father always had a passion for the hospitality industry.

"And he was told that if he was going to open a restaurant, he should do it near Westover," Yee continued, "because there were troops coming in and out of there, and there were just of a lot of people working there."

The elder Yee took that advice, and also a small part of the building at 705 Memorial Dr. for a restaurant featuring Chinese-American fare. He found quick success, so much so that he was soon expanding the original 60-seat restaurant and taking over the building. There have been several expansions and renovations over the years, said Andy, noting that the venue can now seat roughly 1,000 people in its main lounge and several smaller dining areas.

The enterprise was always a family affair, involving Johnny Yee's wife, Linda; sister, Bonnie; brother, Bill; and, later, his children - Andy, Anita, Edison (named after the inventor), and Matthew. Linda Yee is still quite active in the business, said Andy, "but we send her home at a decent hour; she's paid her dues."

Members of the second generation, who usually work until the restaurant closes (2 a.m. on weekends), essentially grew up at the Hu Ke Lau, said Andy, noting that he started working there at an early age, with his first job peeling onions.

Yee and his siblings would watch their father open 11 more eateries, in locations ranging from Longmeadow to Las Vegas, and become known as the 'Restaurant Baron.'

Those establishments were sold off one by one, Andy continued, adding that the extended Yee family now focuses its energies on two ventures - the Hu Ke Lau and a second restaurant, Johnny's Bar & Grill (named after Johnny Yee), in the former Fedora's Tavern in South Hadley's Village Commons.

In both locations, the Yees work to apply the lessons imparted to them by their father, said Andy, who, as he talked with BusinessWest, repeatedly referenced a front-page story in the local press about the restaurant business, how challenging it is, especially in a down economy, and how hard it is to keep the doors open.

"This business is much more difficult than most people think," he said, adding that factors such as immense competition, soaring overhead costs (everything from raw goods to insurance), and razor-thin margins are magnified when the economy is as soft as it is now.

"Things started to slow down last fall, and there are signs everywhere of how bad the economy is and the impact it has on this business," he said, citing everything from local closings to moratoriums on new building now in force within several national chains. "In cycles like this, you have to weather the storm and hang in until conditions improve."

Food for Thought

The article in question provided an effective forum for Yee to talk about his family's businesses, the Hu Ke Lau in particular, and how it has been able to witness 43 years of change on Memorial Drive.

"Diversity is one of the real keys," he said, adding that this term applies to everything from the menu (there are mainstays at the Hu Ke Lau, but always changes and new items) to the roster of entertainment offerings, which bring a wide range of audiences to the venue.

The Polynesian shows, for example, which started in 1967, are quite popular with older constituencies, said Yee, adding that the comedy draws younger audiences, but also people of all ages.

Over the years, a number of famous faces have appeared at the club, including Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Rosie O'Donnell, Chris Farley, and many others, Yee continued, adding that the comedy shows, made possible through a partnership with the Comedy Connection, are one of many efforts designed expressly to bring people in the doors, hopefully to come back repeatedly.

Another such effort is bus tours, he said, noting that the Hu Ke Lau is perhaps the most popular dining stop on bus tours that involve visits to several areas attractions, including the Basketball Hall of Fame, Yankee Candle, the Dr. Seuss Memorial Sculpture Garden, and others. Fall foliage season is the busiest time for bus tours, said Yee, adding that, through a strong relationship with the American Bus Assoc., the Hu Ke Lau has become part of the itinerary for myriad tour groups.

"The association with the ABA gives us a broad reach," he continued. "We had a coach from Anchorage stop here on its way to Cape Cod. I was really pleased to see a bus from Alaska in my parking lot - it showed just how much we're on the map."

That group from the 49th state probably won't be back any time soon, said Yee, adding that, in most other cases, his family's broad goal is to drive repeat business. It does this by providing consistent service, keeping the look in the restaurant fresh and up-to-date, continuing popular programs such as karaoke ("we've been doing it for 28 years ... this is no fad"), and paying close attention to detail.

As an example, he referenced his search for a new sushi chef.

It took him all the way to Pismo Beach, Calif., where he found John Robert and eventually convinced him to come to Chicopee. He started in January.

"Sushi has been in this market for a while now, and it's become popular," Yee said. "But everyone pretty much does it the same way here; I was looking for something different, something fresh, and knew I'd have to go to California to find it.

"I like traveling around the country, looking, observing, and absorbing," he continued. "That's how I get ideas to make this place fresh and different. I wanted to bring some California flair here, and it's worked; we've seen our sales go up."

This drive for things new, different, and compelling applies to all aspects of the Hu Ke Lau, he continued, adding that it hasn't made the venue recession-proof, but it has enabled this business to endure.

Road to Success

Andy Yee says the changes keep coming on Memorial Drive.

He is encouraged by plans for a large-scale retail complex on a parcel just off the turnpike exit - one that is expected to bring even more traffic to the heavily traveled throughfare - and also the potential for more retail and hospitality venues at the site of a former Chevrolet dealership.

"There's a lot happening on this street ... more change, more progress," he said. "Additional retail and more restaurants and hotels really helps everyone here. It makes this area a real destination."

The Hu Ke Lau has done more than its fair share over the past 43 years to make this stretch of Chicopee into a destination. People have been coming to the venue from across the region, across the state, and even beyond. They come because this is a landmark, one that doesn't have sidewalks paved in gold, but does have longevity and a bright future, thanks to Johnny Yee's vision and hard work.

George O'Brien can be reached at obrien@businesswest.com