A local Chinese restaurant celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, but faces “bigger challenges” for its business.

Ping’s Cafe owner Laura Liu, who immigrated from China 35 years ago, said her family-owned restaurant made it through these challenges thanks to a chain of loyal customers through the years.

“Very, very special to me when I see those customers come to (my) restaurant for (20) years,” Liu said.

Ping’s Cafe opened in 2005 after Liu and her husband had opened another restaurant, Yummy China, in North Scottsdale. According to Liu, she and her husband worked for separate restaurants coming to the United States.

“Then I learned how to serve, how to, you know, talk to the customer,” Liu said. “And at the time, my husband, he was a cook.”

Liu said once she and her husband learned restaurant management, they wanted to open their own restaurant which, after a few years, moved to Fountain Hills. She recalled their first day in the town as “pretty busy,” with many diners wanting to try the new restaurant for the first time.

Ping’s Cafe has had to rely on family members for employment, according to Liu, due to “no helping” and a lack of aspiring employees. Andrew Liu, Liu’s son, has helped out at the cafe numerous times throughout his life.

“I feel like (helping was) a responsibility, like I inherited naturally just growing up in the circumstances I did with my family that migrated here,” Andrew said over a phone interview.

Andrew helps his mother and father with not only taking customer orders, but also “maintaining a friendly atmosphere,” he said. However, Andrew said he does not plan to stay working at his parents’ restaurant.

“This is like a decent path for them … to help me get through college and stuff,” Andrew said. “But now that I’m done with college, I’m looking for other jobs for my career.”

The COVID-19 pandemic changed how people dined in Ping’s Cafe, with more take-out orders than 20 years ago, adding to the struggles of the small restaurant, Liu said.

Liu said she links her business’ success to customers who have been coming to her restaurants for over 30 years. Larry and Retha Herman have been dining at Ping’s for 17 years and, according to Larry, that’s due to the fact they’ve “never had a bad thing” at the restaurant.

“As you can see, it’s a nice place,” Larry said. “It’s cozy without being crowded.”

“It’s warm, it’s inviting, it’s friendly,” Retha added.

Retha said her favorite dish at the restaurant is their chow mein and walnut shrimp, while Larry added his was the curry beef. The couple has recently started sharing an appetizer of egg rolls and a side of mustard and sweet-and-sour sauce, according to Larry.

Liu and her husband are close to retirement age, and they do not plan to build up their business with many regular customers still coming, Liu said. But they also do not plan to close their restaurant anytime soon after 20 years in the community.

“I think we are doing pretty good for that many years,” Liu said. “Up and down, up and down, but we survive. We survive.”

Ping’s Cafe is located at 17115 E. Shea Blvd., Ste 100, and can be reached at 480-816-1827.

Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.