SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Vice President Kamala Harris held a special round table discussion specifically for Asian American business owners in San Francisco during her visit on Friday.
A group of nine owners met up in SF Chinatown today. One of them was the owner of the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.
Owner Kevin Chan says it takes long hours and a lot hard work to run his 60-year-old business.
Inside the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory you’ll see a lot of history and a lot of handcrafted sweet treats.
“Fortune cookies are an American product, a San Francisco invention,” said Chan. “We have to fold each cookie by hand.”
To save on labor costs, his mother often helps out at Chan’s family-run business.
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The COVID emergency may be over in California, but Chan’s business and many others in San Francisco’s Chinatown are still hurting.
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That’s what a few of them told Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday.
“The Chinatown community needs a lot of help. They got hit the most and got hit the hardest,” said Chan to VP Harris. “As an AAPI business owner, we struggle; we struggle really hard. Not just inflation, not just labor; we have to face crimes.”
He went on to say, “People want to visit me and their cars get broken into in front of the alley here in less than 10 seconds. Do you think the visitors come back again?”
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Chan told VP Harris what they need and what they’re hoping for-more grant money.
“We need money because to pay the labor. The inflation. The material inflation cost,” said Chan.
As for what the VP and the Biden Administration is offering, Chan says it’s promising.
“She offers a lot of resources for us to apply,” said Chan. “All I need is to stabilize, to get more foot traffic in, and to stop Asian hate, all crime in the area.”
Visitors are still stopping by to see Chan and his legacy business.
“It’s my first time here. She’s been here with her mom. So I’m pretty excited,” said Jerod Viola, of Los Angeles.
Chan hopes visitors like what they see and more of them will keep coming.
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