Lao Wang Noodle House is known for its soup dumplings, dan dan noodles, pot stickers and — maybe even more than the food — the sometimes feisty, always memorable spirit of Wang and his wife, who ran the shop together for over two decades.
After the indoor-dining shutdown began in March 2020, the restaurant remained closed for six months. "I think that having that period of lockdown, of him not really doing anything when he was used to doing so much every single day, really just accelerated some things," says Danny.
While the restaurant was able to reopen with a new online ordering system in August 2020, and just added dine-in service in July, Danny says that his father was battling with some long-term health issues. "We kind of knew," he adds. "But the idea always was, when he passes, that we would keep the legacy of the restaurant going. So nothing is set in stone yet, but we definitely have some things in the works."
In the short term, Danny and other family and friends will step in to help out Danny's mother at the restaurant which reopens September 1.
Danny has also set up a GoFundMe to help with medical and funeral costs, as well as to supplement the revenue that the restaurant lost through the pandemic. "Since [my parents] don't have employees, it was hard getting PPP funds, and there was only so much they could do, but we still managed to stay afloat," Danny explains. "But it kind of drained a lot of our savings trying to stay afloat."
Despite the challenges of the past eighteen months and this fresh loss to the family and community, Danny remains committed to keeping his father's legacy alive. "The restaurant, rest assured, is not going anywhere," he says. "The Lao Wang Noodle House will remain in Denver for a long time."
Here's the complete statement he shared on Facebook:
It is with great sadness to inform everyone that Lao Wang (老王 - Elder Wang) peacefully passed away this morning at the age of 76. Most of you knew him from the restaurant, and know that his passion for making great food matched his fire for life. We can’t say enough thank you’s for everyone’s support over the last 22 years at Lao Wang Noodle House. While he may be gone, we have plans to carry forward his legacy and continue on. We’ll be helping mom out in the kitchen in the short term while we figure out how to best honor what dad had created for so many of you to enjoy....know that we appreciate your endless support. Rest In Peace, 老王.
