Closing time at the Inn
Closing time, you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay at the China Inn.
The China Inn has been a popular restaurant and karaoke nightspot in Palmerston North for 37 years, but owner Danny Yeung is retiring.
He has been trying to sell the business for 21⁄ years. 2
So after a long career of late nights at the famed restaurant, Yeung is finishing.
‘‘I’m really happy to finally retire,’’ he said.
‘‘I’m old. I’m 74 now.
‘‘I’m looking forward to having a more relaxed life and then we can travel to see all our friends and family.’’
Yeung and his wife Mary have two daughters and four grandchildren, two in Australia and two in Hong Kong.
Lynette Love of Property Brokers said the China Inn had been sold to Portofino owner Tommi Giovanni, who would take over later next month.
Yeung is well known in the city by the throngs of people who have been for dinner or to sing. He is commonly seen behind the bar working or handing out lollipops to patrons late at night.
He said people knew him everywhere.
‘‘I’ve watched lots and lots of girls and boys go from babies to grown-ups.
‘‘I’m very, very thankful for all the support I’ve had from Palmerston North.’’
Near Year’s Eve will be its final night and there will be singing until 3am.
Yeung had no idea what the final song would be, but expected there to be a long list of people requesting a tune.
Yeung opened the China Inn in January 1984 after moving to New Zealand from Hong Kong, where he worked as a banker for Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation.
The restaurant, which was redeveloped in 1997, had live music for its first couple of years, but Yeung said after the popularity of karaoke in Asia, he decided to do that instead and it proved a winner.
‘‘There was no such thing as karaoke [in Palmerston North] when we moved in.’’
Yeung said he had rarely sung over the years, but enjoyed listening to others. ‘‘People are happy.’’
Wagon Wheel is a popular number for singers, but Hotel California, The Gambler and other classic hits are commonly heard.
‘‘Young people are still singing that 60s music.’’
Usually on weekends the place fills with revellers who wait their turn to get on the microphone.
Most recently on Saturday night Uptown Funk and Hey Baby (If You’ll be My Girl) were dance floor fillers.