By outdoor-nature-child.com Interview with Jason Lee, Owner of Long Island Pekin
Jason Lee, the owner of Long Island Pekin, a Chinese restaurant that has served the Babylon community for five years, recently announced its closure due to rising costs and staff shortages. In a heartfelt farewell message on the restaurant’s Facebook page, he expressed his gratitude for the support and love from customers over the years. He reflected on the restaurant’s role in celebrating significant milestones, such as first dates, proposals, baby showers, graduations, and anniversaries.
When discussing the decision to close, Lee explained that he had been striving to maintain competitive pricing to attract more customers. However, the continual increase in ingredient and labor costs has made this increasingly difficult.
“We’ve seen prices for ingredients like green beans skyrocket from $20 per box in 2019 to now $50,” Lee stated. “Moreover, meat prices have increased by 20 to 30%, which has put significant strain on our operations. Customer complaints about prices have also added to my stress.”
Lee highlighted that recruiting skilled chefs has become another major challenge for his restaurant. Most talented Chinese chefs reside in Queens, making it far for them to commute to Long Island. This not only complicates staffing but also raises costs further, making it harder to run the restaurant. For Lee, who recently welcomed his second child, the pressures of balancing family and work have become even more intense. When another restaurant group expressed interest in taking over the lease, he decided to seize the opportunity.
Looking ahead, Jason Lee plans to team up with a partner to open two new fast-casual dining spots that will focus on quick-service chain operations. This strategy aims to reduce costs for customers by eliminating full-service dining elements.