The Mandarin Restaurant in Sacramento to close after 40 years
(FOX40.COM) — A four-decade-old Sacramento mainstay will soon be closing its doors for good.
The Mandarin Restaurant in Sacramento will no longer be in business amid the death of the owner’s mother, who founded the establishment. She died on Christmas.
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“Really sad to see this restaurant close,” said long-time patron, Veronica Sukkary. “I’ve been coming here for over 25 years… and we’ve always sat at that table right there… my kids were little. And now they’re adults.”
Others said they will miss The Mandarin Restaurant.
“There’s so many people, like a whole family out here,” said a 16-year former employee and friend, Lance Coomes. “A lot of memories, that will always be cherished.”
The Mandarin Restaurant is located on the corner of Arden Way and Eastern Avenue. It’s scheduled to close on Tuesday.
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“My heart is broken,” said Michael Helmrich, owner of The Mandarin. “It was so hard.”
Helmrich’s parents, Steve and Kay Lee Helmrich, opened The Mandarin on Jan. 21, 1984. He said family recipes and experience working for some of the best in Sacramento, like Frank Fat, helped make The Mandarin so special.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Helmrich said things changed. It caused the business to suffer many hardships. Before COVID-19, the restaurant had 21 employees, but after, it was left with just seven. The Mandarin Restaurant wasn’t able to fully recover from the impact of the pandemic.
“I made it -well, I thought I made it through, you know. It was just… it was horrible,” Helmrich said.
Helmrich said before his mother’s death, she was living with him, his wife Jennifer, and their four children. He said his wife cared for her while he continued to operate the business.
“It’s just a lot going on. And with the business and losing my mom…,” He said while fighting back tears.
Helmich said he’s not sure what the future will look like, but he had no regrets; Just a grateful heart.
People close to the Helmrich family created a GoFundMe to help support them amid the closure of The Mandarin Restaurant.
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