Republic Cafe
The Republic Café was an Asian restaurant and banquet hall in Salinas, California's Chinatown, in the United States. It was one of Salinas's oldest surviving commercial buildings that was in operation from 1942 to 1988. Serving Chinese cuisine such as Peking duck, the Republic Café has been described as part of the neighborhood's Asian American history.[2] It remains an iconic structure, symbolic of Chinatown's colorful history.[3]
Republic Café | |
 Republic Café in 2013 | |
 Location of Republic Café in California | |
| Location | 7 Soledad Street, Salinas, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°40′43″N 121°39′07″W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1942 |
| Architectural style | Mission Revival architecture |
| NRHP reference No. | 11000430[1] |
| Added to NRHP | July 14, 2011 |
History
Republic Café is a Mission Revival architecture style building located at 7 Soledad Street in Salinas, California. It was once an Asian restaurant and banquet hall that was in operation from 1942 to 1988, where the historic Salinas Chinatown used to be. The first Chinatown was established in 1872 and was destroyed by fire in 1893. Chinese merchants established a new Chinatown a few blocks east on Soledad Street.[2][4] The Republic Café and Chinatown provided a gathering place for the Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino communities to celebrate their cultural heritage.[5]
We had the best Chinese food in town. We had a special oven for Peking duck (the restaurant's specialty).
— Wally Ahtye[6]
The Republic Café was built in 1942 by the Ahtye and Chin Bow families, as Chinatown peaked after the 1920s and 1930s. There was need for a restaurant that could have small and large gatherings for the Asian communities. It became the place to hold celebrations, weddings, and the Chinese New Year.[4][5] The Café was owned by Salinas resident Wally Ahtye, who lived on the second floor of the property for many years.[6][3]
The Republic Café is listed as significant between 1942 and 1956, under Criterion A, in Asian Ethnic Heritage. The building has kept its original narrow, rectangular layout, and facade with Chinese architectural elements, including the wood rafters and clay tiled roof. A neon sign reads "Chop Suey Republic." The Café has a second-floor balcony with Chinese ironwork. The walls are reinforced concrete with finished stucco.[5]
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, many of the buildings in Chinatown were demolished because they were declared unsafe by the Federal Urban Renewal program. The Republic Café closed its doors in 1988 as one of the last businesses in the area.[5][3]
Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined this. I'm very excited about it. It will tell the stories of the culture and history of the Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos who populated Salinas's Chinatown since it was established in 1893.
— Wellington Lee[7]
There were plans for restoration of the Soledad Street Chinatown Café thanks to a three-year grant from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It was scheduled to reopen in the spring of 2012 as an Asian Cultural Center and Museum, but these plans fell through.[5][6][7]
In May 2021, there were still plans to build an Asian cultural center and museum for Salinas' Chinatown. This includes the Republic Café and Lotus Inn buildings on Soledad Street. The Asian Culture Experience (ACE) group would like to raise $200,000 to help build the center and museum to help preserve the history and cultures of Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino groups.[8][3]
Anytime there are buildings that are boarded up and abandoned it tends to happen that we see fires happening in those buildings both because they are trying to get out of the cold or rain. It's unfortunate that those buildings get damaged or destroyed.
— Herb Wong[9]
In October 2022, a fire broke out at the historic Republic Café in Chinatown. It was in the process of becoming a museum and Asian cultural center in Salinas. The fire has set them back at three to five years. Holes in the ceiling, walls caving in, and water damage is what is left of the Café after the fire.[9]
Today, if you walk down Soledad Street, you may see a tent encampment and homeless people.[4]
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- Hwang, Yi-Ching (July 14, 2011). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Republic Cafe". National Park Service. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - "Asian Culture Experience (ACE)". Asian Culture Experience. Salinas, California. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- "National Register of Historic Places in Monterey County". NoeHill Travels in California. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- "State Historical Resources Commission" (PDF). Office of Historic Preservation California State Parks Natural Resources Agency State of California. January 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- "Chinatown cafe could reopen as museum". The Californian. Salinas, California. November 24, 2009. p. 3. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- Erin Yasuda Soto (January 7, 2010). "Landmark Salinas Cafe to Reopen as Asian Cultural Center". Nich Bei Weekly. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- Josh Kristianto (May 5, 2021). "Asian cultural center and museum planned for Salinas Chinatown". KION. Salinas, California. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- "Chinatown community picks up the pieces after tragic fire in the historic Republic Café". KSBW. Salinas, California. October 14, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
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