CHICOPEE – Andy Yee, co-owner of the Hu Ke Lau, diffused some of the rumors surrounding the iconic restaurant and its future, but left many questions unanswered at this point.

What a new Hu Ke Lau would look like, if it would remain a regional venue for comedy and other shows and what the timeline would look like for a new version of the restaurant are still undetermined at this time.

“It’s premature to talk about that right now,” he said of the next Hu Ke Lau. The company’s design firm would be making suggestions for the company to consider, he added.

“We’re not rushed. We’re going to do it right,” he said.

Speaking to the press on March 6 in the restaurant’s showroom, Yee confirmed the eatery would close on April 6, the same date it opened in 1965. He stressed the Hu Ke Lau would not be leaving Chicopee.

Yee said he and his family were preparing “a careful and thought-out plan” for the future.

He asserted the property is not for sale. “We’re here for the long haul,” Yee said.

The condition of the building, which Yee said was “crumbing around us,” appeared to be a major part of the decision to close. “We’ve been throwing Band-Aids on top of Band-Aids to fix the things that needed to be fixed.”

The current restaurant has 27,000 square feet and Yee said with the family’s other restaurants they’ve discovered that 5,000 square feet is “the sweet spot.”

“The current employees will be provided with opportunities at other locations managed by our group,” Yee said in a written statement.

In the case of one rumor, Yee did say definitely that a car dealership would not be taking over the property. He did not deny the possibility of another business sharing some of the space on the property.

He emphasized the current restaurant has remained profitable, but the change is necessary due to the condition of the building and keeping an eye on both competition and the future.

On one other rumor, though, concerning some sort of move or collaboration with MGM Springfield, Yee was less definitive.  He replied, “Never say never” when asked about a deal with MGM Springfield, but quickly added there are no plans at the present for a project there.

Yee noted his father Johnny – who he called “a visionary guy” – started the restaurant’s Polynesian revue in 1969 and there would be in the restaurant’s final month a show to commemorate that has become a show business tradition in the region.

Yee said the new Hu Ke Lau would have the needs of Millennials in mind with perhaps smaller meal choices, “grab and go” meals and the acknowledgement that the dining experience is as important as the meal itself to that generation.

Stand up comedians have been a major draw to the restaurant for the past 29 years and Yee said the family would be considering “how to re-purpose the brand.”

Yee said that since the initial reports about the restaurant were published there has been a great response from the restaurant’s customers.

“We’ve built a great customer base here. They’ve become friends,” he said.  

Yee said, “There will be a healthy schedule of entertainment in the next 30 days.”

In a press release, Yee said, “In the next month, don’t be a stranger, come in and help us celebrate the birth of an exciting new future for this very important property in Chicopee.”