By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current
It’s been 25 years since Pat Chan and her husband Kent Ko began working at the Golden Garden Restaurant and 10 years since they purchased it from Chan’s brother, who opened the doors to the restaurant in 1995.
Her parents and brother (who refers to himself as Bill) moved to Geneseo from New York in 1995 to open the Golden Garden, which is located at103 South State St. in downtown Geneseo. Four years later, in 1999, Chan, her husband, and their son Kevin Ko, moved to Geneseo from Hong Kong, and Pat and Kent began working at the restaurant. They purchased the restaurant from Chan’s brother in 2014.
Pat Chan and her husband, Kent Ko, are retiring after 25 years of owning and operating The Golden Garden Restaurant in downtown Geneseo. Photo by Claudia Loucks
On Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, the couple will serve their customers for the last time.
In visiting with the couple, they shared they are “tired,” and ready to retire. They plan to travel, including a trip to Thailand for an extended length of time.
The restaurant has been sold and is expected to reopen in the early months of 2025 as the Thai Café.
Pat Chan smiled as she shared that she and her husband will miss the friends they have made at the restaurant, and added, “We are thankful to this community for all their support through the years…People are very nice in Geneseo and it is a safe place to raise a family.”
Her husband has been the chef at Golden Garden while she does most the serving and other responsibilities in the dining room. Her sister-in-law, Mary Li, helps the couple.
When asked about “customer favorites” of menu items at the restaurant, she listed, “General Tso’s Chicken, Crab Rangoon, and Mongolian Beef.
The Golden Garden Restaurant offers carry-out or eat-in service and is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday; and is closed on Monday.
The restaurant offers a variety of Chinese cuisine from Appetizers, Chow Mein, Chef’s Specials, Combination Plates and Lunch Specials.
As a special offer to their guests, the owners are offering a free buffet lunch to anyone on their birthday.
The couple has two pet Brazilian Turtles, including tank with set-up, they would like to give away at no cost to anyone who will give them a good home. Anyone interested is asked to visit the owners at the restaurant.