Man Transforms Closed Tanning Salon into New Chinese Restaurant

Is East Main Road big enough for two Chinese restaurants? Fall River resident and Tiverton business owner Mike Zhang thinks so. 

"There's always competition in this kind of business, but we have confidence we can succeed," said Mike's 22-year-old daughter, Michelle, translating for her father on Friday.

Zhang, who owns and operates  restaurant in Tiverton, has opened his second restaurant in the shopping plaza at 3001 East Main Road, right next to .

"During these (hard) economic times, it is difficult to open a new business," said Michelle Zhang. "He (Mike Zhang) has confidence the quality of food will draw customers in and they will like it." 

This makes the second Chinese restaurant to open on East Main Road, Portsmouth, in a little more than a year. The China Gourmet is located exactly a half mile away from , which began operations last September. 

This new restaurant in town might have something to do with the market and a positive sign in restaurant business growth.

According to the Nation's Restaurant News, the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index rose above 100 in September, a first in three months. The index rating is based on a number of factors, including customer traffic, something the Zhangs took into consideration when deciding to open shop in Portsmouth. 

"In Tiverton, we have a lot of customers that come from Portsmouth. They said, 'Why don't you open a place in Portsmouth.' We really took that into consideration," said Michelle Zhang. 

"I really like the Portsmouth and Tiverton areas," said her father, Mike, who has lived in Fall River for more than 22 years and has owned his Tiverton restaurant for 12 years. 

The China Gourmet specializes in Szechuan, Hunan and Cantonese-style cuisine. The restaurant, which offers take-out and eat-in services, also serves Cantonese, Japanese and Thai food. 

Previously located at the 1,100 sq. ft. restaurant was a tanning salon, which closed several months ago. Zhang said it was costly renovating the former salon's space with new kitchen equipment. 

When asked how much it cost, Zhang said, "Too much." "He's not sure the total, but it was pretty high with the equipment and supplies, really expensive," said his daughter, Michelle. 

The entire renovation took a mere three months to complete. The restaurant was up and running earlier this week. 

China Gourmet will be open seven days a week in the plaza, which also houses Dunkin' Donuts, , Sew Nice Fabrics, Edward Jones Investments, H&R Block and . 

The new restaurant will be open Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and on Sunday, noon to 10 p.m. 

For more information, to view the online menu or to order, visit www.chinagourmet180.webs.com or call (401) 683-7888 or (401) 683-1888.