Post by nzbc on Feb 1, 2015 12:21:22 GMT 12
Harry Kai Fong owned this shop in Tutanekai Street for many years and also the first Chinese restaurant in Rotorua "Canton"
Yea On & Co. This was the actual trading name of "Kai Fong Fruiterers". The business was a retail and wholesale fruit and vegetable company which was run by a partnership of Harry Kai Fong and his uncle, Peter Bow. They originally had two outlets which strangely were right opposite each other in Tutanekai Street between Pukuatua and Hinemoa Streets. The shop on the eastern side of the street, run by Harry's Uncle Peter, was sold about 1949 or 1950 and the partnership bought the building which had been used to house an auction mart at was is now numbered 1296 Tutanekai St.
The uncle/ nephew duo then proceeded to create three business premises from the building, a fruit shop, which Harry and his family operated, a chinese restaurant which Harry and Peter both had shareholdings and a third shop which was leased to Modern DryCleaners. This building which now houses The Meat Shoppe, Uncle Neil's Thai Restaurant and E-Funz Internet and games parlour.
The fruit and vegetable shop known as Willy Bow Fruiterer was the shop formerly known as Yea On & Co. and was run by Harry Kai Fong and his family. the shop had living accommodation and Harry and his family lived there until 1945 when he purchased a house situated at 24 Sumner Street. The living accommodation comprised a kitchen/dining room downstairs and two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. Harry and his wife Winnie occupied the back bedroom and my two brothers and two sisters and myself had the front one. Things were a trifle cramped but we all enjoyed our early childhood there.The shop next door was a dairy run by Mrs Agnes Kemeys and I have fond memories in going in there to purchase a penny worth of broken biscuits.
rotorua.kete.net.nz/rotorua_local_history_businesses/topics/show/283-kai-fongs-fruiterers
Yea On & Co. This was the actual trading name of "Kai Fong Fruiterers". The business was a retail and wholesale fruit and vegetable company which was run by a partnership of Harry Kai Fong and his uncle, Peter Bow. They originally had two outlets which strangely were right opposite each other in Tutanekai Street between Pukuatua and Hinemoa Streets. The shop on the eastern side of the street, run by Harry's Uncle Peter, was sold about 1949 or 1950 and the partnership bought the building which had been used to house an auction mart at was is now numbered 1296 Tutanekai St.
The uncle/ nephew duo then proceeded to create three business premises from the building, a fruit shop, which Harry and his family operated, a chinese restaurant which Harry and Peter both had shareholdings and a third shop which was leased to Modern DryCleaners. This building which now houses The Meat Shoppe, Uncle Neil's Thai Restaurant and E-Funz Internet and games parlour.
The fruit and vegetable shop known as Willy Bow Fruiterer was the shop formerly known as Yea On & Co. and was run by Harry Kai Fong and his family. the shop had living accommodation and Harry and his family lived there until 1945 when he purchased a house situated at 24 Sumner Street. The living accommodation comprised a kitchen/dining room downstairs and two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. Harry and his wife Winnie occupied the back bedroom and my two brothers and two sisters and myself had the front one. Things were a trifle cramped but we all enjoyed our early childhood there.The shop next door was a dairy run by Mrs Agnes Kemeys and I have fond memories in going in there to purchase a penny worth of broken biscuits.
rotorua.kete.net.nz/rotorua_local_history_businesses/topics/show/283-kai-fongs-fruiterers