After almost 30 years of service, a local Chinese spot shut down. Staten Island’s East Pacific restaurant served its final customers on Sunday, July 19. The new owners plan to reopen the space as East Buffet, a new buffet concept.
East Pacific Closes After Nearly Three Decades
With an extensive menu of Asian favorites, East Pacific Restaurant has served the Staten Island community for years. It was known for serving freshly prepared dishes with high-quality ingredients. The pan-Asian eatery, located inside the Staten Island Mall in New York at 2655 Richmond Avenue, announced its closure.
In a closure announcement post on social, the restaurant team shared that the owners of the restaurant, Helen and Peter, have decided to retire.
They added that the restaurant is under renovation and will come back soon with “an even better dining experience.” The team also announced that a brand-new East Buffet will open in the space under new ownership. They added, “We are excited for the next chapter as the new owners are transforming this into a buffet.”
According to a Silive report, the restaurant was founded in 1997 by Helen Lau from China. She began her journey by working with Manhattan’s Chinatown restaurant scene. Later on, she purchased a restaurant of her own. “She created a workplace she viewed as an extended family, employing dozens of workers, helping staff commute from Brooklyn and celebrating milestones together outside of work,” said the report.
View this post on Instagram
Community Responses on Social Media
Following the closure announcement, customers shared messages on social media. One of the longtime customers commented, “So many celebrations and takeout dinners filled with happy memories.”
“This restaurant was the best Chinese food in Staten Island and as synonymous with family memories as anything! Enjoy retirement and thank you for everything!!!” wrote another community member.
The team thanked the community and customers for their support over the decades. They highlighted, “We are genuinely grateful for all the memories and feel blessed to have so much to look back on.”
Even though East Pacific has closed down, it is not a permanent farewell. The restaurant will be back soon with a new look and buffet concept for the Staten Island community.
