New China Restaurant Fundraiser

Fox River Grove’s New China spans three generations of passionate family who share a love for serving the local community. Dishing up delicious recipes that date back to almost 60 years ago, New China has been a local favorite for over 37 years. However, last January, New China became the location of an unforeseen, tragic fire that left the restaurant unable to operate. Although insurance has helped cover the cost of much of the fire damage, required city code upgrades that recently surfaced have left New China Owners, the Gee Family short on funding to finish the project. With hopes of seeing the open sign reappear on this long-time Fox River Grove staple, patrons are banding together to raise awareness and money. 

The Project

The fire at New China occurred on January 3 around 4:45 in the afternoon. It was the result of overheated wok oil that became flammable. Although Bill and the kitchen team worked determinedly to extinguish the fire, they were unsuccessful. Now, what was anticipated to be a quick fire clean-up project has taken a surprise turn to become an expensive reconstruction project, in order to bring the outdated building up-to-date with current code requirements. This includes reworking the entire building for:

• Plumbing: The health department now requires floor drains and underground plumbing, so the floor has to be pulled up and the concrete re-poured when the work is complete. 
• HVAC: The heating and cooling needs to be updated for higher efficiency. Since the old baseboard heaters don’t meet the efficiency requirements, a new rooftop unit needs to be put in, costing over $6,000. 
• Electrical: New electrical work needs to be added on to the existing electrical in order to run the new HVAC roofing equipment. 
• Sprinkler Systems: A sprinkler system is needed in the kitchen, costing about $10,000, and the fire pole station, which allows the local fire department to monitor the restaurant costs another $10,000. 
• Fire Filtration: The updates require a hood system in the kitchen to comply with industry standards, which the kitchen never had. This upgrade alone is in excess of $50,000.

In total, the new, necessary upgrades to bring the building to code are estimated to cost at least $110,000 and are not covered by the fire damage insurance. 

The History

Bill is a third-generation restaurant owner. His grandfather started the restaurant Young Sing in Chicago, then his father branched off and opened Ah Fong in Skokie. When Bill’s family moved from Skokie to Fox River Grove, they founded New China, which Bill now owns today. His three children and many of their classmates have also worked at the restaurant. Bill takes part in the Cary-Grove High School Work Release Program, which provides students with the opportunity to get real world working experience.  

No matter who you talk to, from students to seniors, everybody recognizes New China as an important part of downtown Fox River Grove. All ages also tout the restaurant for its many distinguished flavors that have been served up for generations, such as the egg rolls, which date back to the 50s. Other signature dishes include China Chicken, Beef and Shrimp; Shanghai Chicken, Beef and Shrimp; and much more. In addition to great food, patrons don’t discuss New China without raving about their one-of-a-kind Mai Tais and Zombie drinks.    

Even the local village sees the value in helping New China stay in business. Recently, they’ve contributed a generous amount of funding to the restaurant’s front façade project, in order to give the face of the building a new, updated look—enhancing the overall Fox River Grove downtown appearance. They also see the successful business as an opportunity to help the downtown area grow and bring in new businesses. 

 
Please Donate

If you see the benefit in helping this local staple bring their building up to code, so they can continue to employ and serve many generations to come, please donate whatever you can. Every little bit helps! Thank you.