China Chalet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids China Chalet
Signage for China Chalet
Restaurant information
Established	1975
Closed	2020
Previous owner(s)	Keith Ng
Street address	47 Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, NY, U.S.
City	New York City, New York
Postal/ZIP code	10006
Country	United States
Coordinates	40°42′23.7″N 74°0′46.7″W / 40.706583°N 74.012972°W / 40.706583; -74.012972

China Chalet was a Chinese restaurant located in the Financial District of New York City. Opened in 1975, the restaurant operated as a luxury dim sum banquet hall catering to a business clientele. Beginning in the 2000s, China Chalet contemporaneously operated as a rental space for nightlife events, alternately serving as an event space, nightclub, and concert venue. China Chalet permanently closed in 2020.

History

Exterior of 47 Broadway in December 2021, with China Chalet signage still visible

China Chalet opened in 1975 in the Financial District of Manhattan in New York City, located on Broadway near Exchange Place. The restaurant served American Chinese cuisine in a luxury dim sum banquet hall-style setting, with a seating capacity of over 800 across three divided sections, and full bar service at two bars. Its design was typical of Chinese banquet halls in commercial Manhattan that catered to businesspersons: "sumptuously carpeted, with swagged curtains at the windows, and waiters formally clad in vests and ties." The restaurant maintained this style of service and design until its 2020 closure, and was one of the longest-operating Chinese banquet halls in the Wall Street area.

Beginning in the mid-2000s, China Chalet began to rent out its space for use as a concert venue and club for nighttime popup events, while continuing to operate as a restaurant during daytime hours. New York reported that the first such party, an after-party for an exhibition of works by photographer Glynnis McDaris, was held in 2005; McDaris and her partner Gemma Ingalls subsequently began to host regular parties at the restaurant. These and similar events attracted an "artsy crowd" to China Chalet that starkly contrasted the restaurant's traditional daytime clientele; by 2011, The New York Times reported that China Chalet had "been a favorite hideaway of the fashion and art crowd for about five years." The low cost to rent the space led China Chalet to develop a reputation for hosting parties catering to a "broad spectrum of ethnicities and economic means".

China Chalet permanently closed in 2020. Though no reason for the closure was given, the economic downturn prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic was speculated as a probable cause by multiple outlets. Two additional China Chalet locations operated, on the Upper East Side and in Eltingville, Staten Island, respectively. The Eltingville location opened in 2006 and closed in 2020, while the Upper East Side location closed by 2021.