‘Heartbreaking’ blaze destroys well-known Regina restaurant
Standing across the street, the owners of Lang’s Cafe and Wonderland Arcade in Regina looked on helplessly Wednesday morning as firefighters poured water on what remained of their businesses.
Lang’s Cafe was destroyed by an early-morning blaze, and neighbouring businesses will be keeping their doors closed for the time being. According to its website, the restaurant “has been providing delicious Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai food for over 30 years.”
The restaurant was purchased by Hung Phan on July 29 last year. While observing the damage, Phan said he had previously worked at other restaurants in the city, and had decided to buy his own business, which he ran with his wife. It was the first restaurant he ever owned.
Phan said he was asleep when he got a call from his sister at approximately 6 a.m. about the fire.
“I didn’t know anything,” said Phan.
Andrew Stuart, who works at Wonderland, the classic arcade next to Lang’s, said that he got a call that the restaurant was on fire. Stuart arrived at the building at 6 a.m., when the fire was still raging.
“The flames were 20 feet in the air above Lang ’s Cafe, said Stuart.
Firefighters were forced out of the building by the intense flames and the crumbling structure.
It is believed that no one was in the building at the time the blaze started. Jin Pal Hapkido, a martial arts school, will also be closed because of the fire.
Rod Kempa, who owns the adjacent building that houses Miyosiwin, Jin Pal Hapkido, Empowered Fitness and Wascana Donair & Shawarma, said most of the businesses were affected by the fire.
“As far as I can tell from my just short preliminary walk through is probably just Wascana Donair might be the only one that’d be functional,” said Kempa, who has been the building ’s landlord for 18 years.
Kempa had already spoken to all of the business owners about the fire.
“It’s not good. The only thing good about it is that no one’s injured. You can replace property, but you can’t replace human life,” said Kempa.
Miyosiwin Salon Spa is located next to Lang ’s Cafe. Owner Jennifer Dubois said the fire spread into the attic above the salon. The damage to the roof was so bad that Dubois said she could see through the ceiling when she briefly entered the spa after the fire.
Dubois doesn’t know what can be salvaged, and still has to meet with her insurance provider.
“I would assume all of our equipment has water damage and smoke damage,” said Dubois.
Dubois opened Miyosiwin in February 2016. Miyosiwin, which means beauty in Cree, is focused on promoting Indigenous culture in a positive way. Its staff are also knowledgeable about Indigenous traditions and protocols regarding hair.
Dubois said business had been going well during the salon’s first year.
“Now we are on hold to wait to see what is to come,” said Dubois.
Lang ’s Cafe was started by Tran Van Minh after he immigrated to Canada from Vietnam in 1979. It was one of the first Vietnamese restaurants to open in Regina.
Minh first came to Yorkton with his father and 10 siblings. Minh told the Leader-Post in 2005 that while in Yorkton, he was frequently the target of racism and prejudice. The family moved to Regina in 1982, and it was there that Minh’s father suggested opening a restaurant. Minh saw it as an opportunity for his family to gain employment, but also as a way to help other new immigrants from Vietnam find work.
The loss of Lang’s Cafe clearly struck a chord with Regina residents, who took to social media to share their memories of visiting the restaurant.
Carla Harris called the loss of the restaurant “heartbreaking.” Harris recalled visiting the restaurant during her childhood when her family was visiting the city from her hometown of Raymore. When she was a student, she and her friends would eat there frequently. Harris praised Lang ’s owner for helping new immigrants get on