Szechuan Kitchen, Upper East Side Takeout Staple, To Close

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Upper East Side Chinese takeout staple Szechuan Kitchen — which proudly announces "since 1974" on its blue awning — closed Wednesday, a manager confirmed with Patch.

The restaurant, located on First Avenue between East 79th and 80th streets, is closing because staff want to spend more time with their families, the manager — who did not want to be named — told Patch over the phone.

"We want to enjoy time with our children," the manager said.

(For more Upper East Side news, subscribe to Patch to get a daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.)

The closing is not due to a rent dispute or the 43-year-old business being forced out of its space, the manager told Patch.

Szechuan Kitchen may reopen at some point in the future, the restaurant manager told Patch, but the staff does not know when that day may come. Upper East Siders eager for the restaurant to return can follow the business on Facebook or Instagram for updates, the manager told Patch.

Szechuan Kitchen was a long-time favorite for takeout on the Upper East Side because it nailed the Chinese food basics, Time Out New York wrote in 2016. The Chinese food spot could be counted on for its "addictive spring rolls, sesame noodles, pork dumplings, hot-spiced ginger shrimp and sautéed string beans," all made from scratch, according to the review.

Photo by Google Maps street view