A new Chinese restaurant is scheduled to open in the former Happy Kobe on the corner of Congress and Union streets in less than one month, the owner said.
Campus Garden will serve dine-in and take-out Chinese food, said owner Lanying Nancy Cai. The menu will be finished by the end of this week, and will feature bourbon chicken and pork among other dishes and lunch prices around $5, Cai said. The restaurant will be affordable and student-focused, she said.
The restaurant is called Campus Garden because Cai hopes that many students will walk there from campus, she said.
Because every Chinese restaurant has a different style, Cai said she does not think the six other Chinese restaurants in Athens will affect her business.
Renovation on the building began in September, said David Winefordner, a friend of Cai's who is helping with the business.
The kitchen had to be redone to accommodate the wok style of Chinese cooking, which requires a fire-suppression ventilation system that goes through the roof, he said.
Cai also owns a China Fortune restaurant off state Route 33 in Nelsonville, which is not affiliated with the China Fortune on Stimson Avenue in Athens. People drive from all around to eat at her restaurant in Nelsonville, especially for her homemade sauces, Winefordner said.
Cai moved to the United States from China 13 years ago. She lived in Florida for two years and has lived in the Athens area for 11 years.
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Gail Burkhardt
