This place is called “el sol” in Harrisonburg, VA of you every want to check it out. I stopped by once during a road trip but unluckily it was closed that day😭.
We had that in my hometown once. The Chinese place became a pizzeria. The Italian dragon carvings were really authentic.
Pretty sure both iterations were money laundering fronts, though. The fried rice was still solid.
Just because you launder money doesn’t mean you can’t still go for that Michelin star.
i have no doubt, that there are plenty of restaurants, that started as a money laundering front, but ended up becoming successful.
It depends. If the Michelin star attracts more wealthy clients that use credit cards over cash, it’s going to be challenging to justify the money you’re bringing in.
You could go the luxury “cheap” food route: tacos or burgers costing $20 a plate.
Likely still have cash clientele so you can launder money.
Fun fact there is actually precedent of money laundering restaurants going legit because they started producing more money than they were laundering.
My local Chinese restaurant doesn’t accept cards.
Up until recently it wasn’t a big deal, they’d point to the ATM at the grocery store next door and say, “ATM right there! No card! No card!” while tapping the cash only sign.
Unfortunately that grocery store closed last month. I hope they make it because I love the family that owns the place.
After Covid though, the cleanliness went downhill big time there. I mean, to a shocking degree.
During the peak of the pandemic they stuck a table in front of the doors and trusted customers to pay and take correct change themselves. That meant the world to me.
Buuuuut. They went from the cleanest restaurant in town to a place that looks like it hasn’t been mopped since 2019. It’s like the pandemic made them lazy and they never recovered.
Just put a sign up that reads “Cash is King Prawn” problem solved
Or do what a few places around me do, and charge an extra 10% if you pay by anything other than cash.
Maybe that cigarette store is actually a money laundering front… 🤔
I would love that but the credit card companies make that illegal and you can get in trouble and have your ability to take credit cards revoked if they catch you doing that
It’s illegal in this state just to charge more than, I think $1.50 or $2 or something, for that shit anyway. Would be funny if those stores really were some kind of illegal front and they get found out because of that law. Like Capone getting put away on tax evasion.
“Los mexicanos nacemos donde se nos da la rechingada gana.”
Chino Bandito in Phoenix. Chinese/Mexican food. Carnitas+ pork fried rice rocks .
Isnt this just straight up from Chino’s? Which has always been a fusion place?
Yeah. I think it was on the wall of the old place.
I absolutely love this.
