Fresno's Hunan Chinese Restaurant could close by the end of this month. Photo by Estela Anahi Jaramillo

Popular Fresno eatery Hunan Chinese Restaurant posted a sign on its doors Sunday warning customers it could be out of business by the end of October.

Factors including short kitchen staffing, rising costs and “months of slow business” were attributed to the impending closure.

“Together, we made it through the pandemic,” according to the note. “Unfortunately, we might not be able to make it through the post-pandemic inflation.”

The note said without an investor to take over the business, it would close by the end of October.

 

Employees at the restaurant late Wednesday morning declined to speak about the impending closure.

With 623 Yelp reviews and a four-star overall rating, Hunan has built a longtime local following. Located at the southeast corner of Cedar and Herndon avenues, Hunan has been operating in Fresno for more than 32 years, according to its website.

Chef Zhongyi Liu is renowned for bringing his style of Szechuan cuisine to Fresno. His resume includes chef and executive chef for The Grand Hotel Beijing from 1985-1999, according to a Yelp bio.

According to California Secretary of State records, the restaurant is owned by WME Corporation, with Hui-Hsin Pan listed as CEO.