Wong’s Wok Closes Its Last Location
The Chinese restaurant chain, founded in 1979, is no more.
Site of Wong’s Wok, 3702 S. 27th St. Photo taken Feb. 12, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
Wong’s Wok, a Chinese chain restaurant with roots in Milwaukee, has shuttered its final location. The closure marks the end of a 45-year run for the family-owned restaurant, which operated as many as 13 locations at its peak.
Since its inception in 1979, Wong’s Wok has operated as a fast food concept with a focus on traditional Cantonese recipes such as egg foo young, sweet-and-sour chicken and lo mein. The takeout-focused restaurant also served several varieties of fried rice, sesame chicken, crab rangoon and more.
The last remaining Wong’s Wok, 3702 S. 27th St., was open as recently as early January, according to online reviews. As of Monday, however, the building has been stripped of its signage. A note posted in the drive-thru window reads: “restaurant closed.”
The restaurant chain, originally founded by Edward Chin, has been passed down through multiple generations. Chin’s daughter, Jennifer Norvik, is the current business owner.
In addition to its brick-and-mortar locations, Wong’s Wok was a regular vendor at Summerfest. The restaurant served fried rice, sesame chicken, crab rangoon and other crowd-favorites throughout the annual festival. Summerfest has not yet announced a full list of vendors for the 2024 event.
The proprietor is now seeking a new tenant for the southside restaurant space. The standalone building shares a parking lot with a strip mall containing a number of businesses including Dollar Tree, an auto parts store and several others. The building is also home to a Chinese Buffet restaurant. A third Chinese restaurant, Panda Express, is located just north of the property.
New tenants have opened or are planning to open in two previous Wong’s Wok locations. A new Dunkin’ is proposed for 242 E. Capitol Dr., while a Mad Chicken is now operating at 7424 W. Appleton Ave.
A representative of Wong’s Wok did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
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