SUBMITTED BY PING B. CHEN
Owner of the Golden Wheel Restaurant
By November 2007, I have owned many restaurants in Asia, United States, BC, as well as Alberta, but I was always renting; couldn’t make up my mind to buy the property. I always felt that there was something missing in those places where I ran my business. I couldn’t figure out what was missing, or what I was looking for; I just kept looking and moving until I landed in Ponoka.
The purchase of the Golden Wheel Restaurant was done within two weeks of first visiting the town in late October 2007. I liked Ponoka not so much because of its convenient location from Edmonton where my sons lived; it was more because of its strong sense of community. People actually smiled at each other and stopped to talk to each other on streets. Many even smiled at me as a stranger. I realized that it was the friendly smiling that I had been looking for. I felt welcomed in Ponoka, and a desire grew that I could do something good for this friendly community besides serving quality food.
After many renovations of the building, which were done mostly by myself, I then took over the business in August 2009. Nearly five years have passed by as I struggled to understand the market and build up the business from scratch. At the end of 2010, my restaurant won the Business Award in Customer Service.
Besides business success, I set up another goal for myself when I first visited Ponoka in the fall of 2007, which was to do something good for the community. This goal, I have also achieved. Every year, since 2009, I provide a free Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner for seniors and the special needs people. I donated funds to the Ponoka RCMP Victim Services from the Chinese New Year’s Banquet in 2011. I leave free meal tickets at the churches to give out to the people in need of food. I am proud of being a member of this community. I am very happy to be able to do something for this community.
As the business has stabilized and everything needed to be done is done, I decided to take a break. My friends William and Joyce will be running the Golden Wheel for a couple of years while I take time to rest, to visit my father who is in his nineties, and to spend time with my sons. I will also travel a bit to do some casual cooking since I’d like to see and to learn more food.
As I say the temporary goodbye to the restaurant, I’d like to thank my faithful customers for your steadfast support of the business, for your understanding and forgiveness when mistakes are made, for your patience and good sense of humor when things are busy and I am cooking my butt off. A heartfelt thank-you goes to my staff, especially to my manager, Ms. Jessie Pei. Without any of you, the Golden Wheel would not be as successful as it is today. My delivery drivers deserve special gratitude. It is you who run your wheels off so my customers receive their food hot and fresh. As the guardian angel of the restaurant, my reliable technician Mr. Berni Steinmann keeps every piece of my equipment running through his timely and excellent service. I thank you Berni. Many other Ponoka service people have helped me over the years; many of you have become good friends. I am thankful for all of your help. My friendly neighbours on both sides welcomed me when I was totally new in town by providing housing and all kinds of information. You are my trustworthy resource people and are always ready to lend a helping hand when I need it. I am very blessed to have you for my neighbours.
In the next a couple of years when I am away, I promise that the yearly free Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner will still be provided. I will be back on that occasion to help. Please continue supporting the Golden Wheel and my friends William and Joyce. I will be back in a couple of years to cook for you again.