Yank Sing Explained

Yank Sing
State:California
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Country:United States
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Yank Sing is a dim sum with locations in the Rincon Center (opened in 1999) with a second location on Stevenson Street in the Financial District, San Francisco.[1]

The original location open at Broadway and Powell Street, Chinatown, San Francisco in 1958 by Alice Chan. Vera Chan-Waller, her granddaughter, and husband Nathan Waller are the current owners. Her father Henry dropped out of medical school weeks shy of completion when Alice got sick and needed the help.

Chef and restaurateur Cecilia Chiang lunched at the Chinatown location every day and Dianne Feinstein was a frequent customer at their Battery Street location. Woody Allen filmed part of his 1972 movie Play It Again, Sam at the Broadway location.[2] The James Beard Foundation named them an American Classic in 2009.[3] The restaurant was featured on Season 1, Episode 2 of The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Labor problems

In the summer of 2013, 280 employees followed the advice of the Chinese Progressive Assn. and filed labor violation complaints looking for better working conditions and wages with the help of the Asian Law Caucus. Henry Chan and his wife Judy[4] did not fight the charges.[5]

The Chans gave the employees raises and paid vacations and health benefits. They also gave more than 280 former and current employees $4 million in back wages.

Notes and References

  1. News: Wells . Madeline . Famous San Francisco dim sum restaurant Yank Sing is where tourists, co-workers and locals collide . 10 January 2023 . San Francisco Chronicle . September 26, 2022.
  2. News: Ness . Carol . Dim Sum Dynasty / Yank Sing's Chan family has spent generations honing the recipe for success . 10 January 2023 . San Francisco Chronicle . March 30, 2005.
  3. News: San Francisco Yank Sing Restaurant Workers Win Record Settlement . 10 January 2023 . NBC News . November 24, 2014.
  4. News: Pape . Allie . Yank Sing Settles $4 Million Labor Dispute with 200+ Workers . 10 January 2023 . Eater San Francisco . November 19, 2014.
  5. News: Hsu . Tiffany . Lifsher . Marc . Restaurants are feeling the heat in crackdown on wage theft . 10 January 2023 . Los Angeles Times . November 18, 2014.