Cozy Inn Restaurant, Wisconsin’s oldest Chinese restaurant and the second oldest in the United States, is one of 25 historic small restaurants across the country to receive $40,000 in funding to ensure that the cultural and community legacies of establishments like this iconic Janesville restaurant live on. The funds are specifically meant to help restaurant owners navigate current economic headwinds, including supply chain issues, staffing shortages, inflation, or climate-related damage.
The Cozy Inn will use their funds to restore the iconic neon sign on the outside of the building. “We are very honored to be a recipient of this grant from American Express in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation “Backing Historic Small Restaurants,” said Tom Fong, owner of the Cozy Inn.”
Cozy Inn first opened its doors on November 1, 1922, at the same location it is today under the ownership of the Wong family. Several generations of the Wong family ran the business for more than 50 years before selling the restaurant to Marie Shum and her husband in 1975. Marie’s son, Tom Fong, along with his wife, Amanda, and her sister, Michelle, currently own and run the business.
Visitors can dine at the Cozy Inn by venturing through the red door under the iconic Chop Suey sign and up the 20 stairs to the second floor of 214 W Milwaukee Street. The menu features favorites like egg drop soup, fried rice, Orange Chicken, Sweet & Sour Pork, Broccoli Beef, and Kung Pao Shrimp, along with lunch specials, family dinner deals, and specialty cocktails and ice cream drinks. The restaurant is open on Tuesday-Thursday, 11 AM-9 PM; Friday, 11 AM-9:30 PM; Saturday, 1:30-9:30 PM; Sunday, 1:30-9 PM; and closed on Mondays.
These grant funds were awarded through a program called “Backing Historic Small Restaurants” created by American Express in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Cozy Inn was the only restaurant in Wisconsin to be awarded funds from this opportunity.
“Backing small businesses is core to what we do at American Express. These grant programs support the important cultural and historic independent restaurants within our communities,” said Madge Thomas, Head of Corporate Sustainability and President of the American Express Foundation. “The ‘Backing Small’ grant programs help preserve these restaurants’ established legacies and celebrate the rich variety of cuisines they serve around the world. We’re delighted to once again partner with both the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the IDA Foundation.”
