Beloved Grand Rapids Chinese Restaurant Reopens After Devastating January Fire

After nine long months, locals are more than ready for a beloved neighborhood staple to reopen its doors. First Wok Chinese Restaurant on 28th Street in Cascade has been feeding Grand Rapids for over 25 years, making its abrupt closure after a January fire a tough blow for regulars.

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What Caused the January Kitchen Fire

The fire at First Wok broke out in the middle of the lunch rush on January 9. According to Fox 17, an employee was prepping rice noodles for Mongolian beef when trapped water hit hot oil in a wok fryer. Flames spread to the hood system.

Thankfully, the automatic fire suppression kicked in and crews from Cascade, Ada, Caledonia, and the airport arrived within minutes. Everyone got out safely with zero injuries. While the physical fire stayed near the stove, heavy smoke filled the building, so the restaurant needed a massive cleanup and a full setup of custom kitchen gear before they could even think about cooking again.

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My family and I order takeout from the 44th Street First Wok at least once a month. It's delicious! So I definitely understand folks missing the Cascade restaurant and rooting for it to come back.

Months of Delays and Community Support

Updates were pretty quiet through the winter and spring. In June, First Wok owners shared that shortages with equipment installers were causing long delays, but promised they were doing everything they could to open back up.

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Behind the scenes, the Yu family, their staff, and neighborhood volunteers all rolled up their sleeves to help clean the building. To keep their team afloat during the shutdown, First Wok shifted as many employees as possible over to their Alpine and 44th Street spots.

Reopening Dates and What to Expect

Now, the wait is officially over!

First Wok kicked off a soft opening on October 1, with the grand reopening set for October 7.

With brand-new custom woks, fresh paint, and updated fixtures, the Cascade team is ready to welcome everyone back.

Be sure to follow their Facebook page for current daily hours and soft opening updates as they get fully up to speed.