The minds behind one of Greenwich Village’s most popular Chinese restaurants have formed a brand new hospitality group and are now getting ready for an ambitious expansion phase.
Mogao Hospitality is a new hospitality group from owner Dufan Li, a well established restaurateur who has been successfully operating in the tristate area for years. Focusing on Asian cuisine that can serve both the Asian and American market, Li has a strong vision of serving guests the way he wants to be treated. Since 2020, Li has been steadily acquiring excellent Chinese food restaurants around New York and New jersey and leveraging his expertise to help the restaurants grow and expand.
Mogao’s first restaurant was Uncle Ted’s, a popular Chinese restaurant that operated out of a historic Bleecker Street building for over seven years before a tragic fire sadly shut the space down for good. What Now New York actually covered Uncle Ted’s recovery last year, and broke the news that that they would be opening on East 8th Street, where they are now proudly operating today. Their second restaurant, Peking Pavilion, had been operating for 40 years in Manalapan Township, New Jersey, before being acquired by Mogao. Now, after acquiring two unique and iconic Chinese restaurants, the Mogao team is now getting ready to develop a brand new concept of their own design.
Their newest restaurant, which has yet to be officially named, is expected to arrive at 698 Ninth Avenue some time next year. The space was previously occupied by Qi, a Thai-influenced Southeast Asian restaurant with a minimalist aesthetic. Sadly, this space was Qi’s only location, and the future of the restaurant currently remains unknown. The location is an impressive acquisition for Li though, and is expected to be able to seat a total of 70 guests inside at one time.
Li and the Mogao team are still very early into the development process, and as such they have not yet outlined any information about the restaurant’s general concept. According to Li though, the new restaurant is part of an ambitious expansion strategy for Mogao, and he hopes to open “at least one or two stores per year” until 2025. Mogao’s slogan is “Nothing is impossible!” and Li is extremely dedicated to seeing that vision through. He is currently getting ready to meet with the community board to acquire a new wine, beer, and cider license for the space, and is proposing operating hours of 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM every day, seven days a week.
