Englewood's Chinese Restaurant Controvery

In 1929, Englewood’s attempt to establish a Chinese restaurant became more than a business matter. It evolved into a revealing episode about power, procedure, and public perception in a suburban community navigating questions of commerce and character.

The controversy followed the earlier closing of Englewood’s first Chinese restaurant, operated by Wong, after public dispute involving members of the council.¹ With that establishment gone, the city once again had no Chinese restaurant.

In August 1929, real estate broker Harry F. Rothman applied for a permit to operate a Chinese-American restaurant at 95 West Palisade Avenue.² The proposal quickly became the subject of heated exchanges between Rothman and Mayor Douglas G. Thomson before the Englewood Common Council.

Mayor Thomson reported that his office and the police commissioners had investigated the applicant. However, he objected to granting restaurant permits on second floors and requested that Rothman disclose the financial principals behind the venture.³ Rothman refused to name them and accused the council of unnecessary delay.

Newspaper coverage described tense council sessions, accusations of “bluffing,” and sharp political exchanges.⁴ The matter remained pending for more than five weeks before Rothman withdrew the application.⁵ No formal rejection was ever recorded.

While the mayor consistently framed his objections as procedural — focusing on building location and disclosure — not all observers interpreted the controversy as purely administrative.

Editorial commentary noted that efforts to open Chinese restaurants in Englewood had repeatedly failed in previous years.⁶ The unusually prolonged delay and the public focus on this particular application led some residents to believe that resistance may have reflected more than structural concerns. Although the articles stopped short of directly accusing the council of prejudice, they acknowledged that many in town had gained the impression that objections were aimed at Chinese restaurants specifically rather than at restaurants in general.⁷

This perception was shaped in part by the earlier closing of Wong’s establishment and by the broader climate of the 1920s, when Chinese businesses across the United States often faced scrutiny, stereotyping, and regulatory hurdles disproportionate to similar enterprises.

Whether the opposition was rooted in zoning principles, political rivalry, concerns about second-floor dining, or anti-Chinese sentiment remains a matter of interpretation. What is clear from the record is that the controversy sparked public debate about fairness and consistency.

Only weeks after Rothman withdrew, Englewood did grant a permit for a Chinese restaurant at the same address.

On November 22, 1929, The Englewood Record carried a prominent advertisement announcing the grand opening of the Oriental American Chinese Restaurant at 95–97 West Palisade Avenue.⁸ The opening was celebrated with music, dancing, luncheon service, and evening dining.

Subsequent reporting clarified that the permit was granted to a man from North Bergen — not to Rothman.⁹ The newspaper emphasized that the mayor’s recommendation was not for Rothman’s withdrawn application.¹⁰

The cuisine had not changed.
The address had not changed.
What had changed was the applicant.

The episode demonstrates how municipal authority functioned in practice. Formal denial was unnecessary. Delay, procedural demands, and discretionary review could shape outcomes just as effectively.

For some residents, the controversy reinforced suspicion that Chinese restaurants faced heightened scrutiny in Englewood. For others, it reflected a clash of personalities and policy between Rothman and the mayor.

By November 1929, Englewood had its second Chinese restaurant. But the path to its opening exposed deeper tensions about transparency, control, reputation, and perhaps unspoken social boundaries within the community.

“Chinese Restaurant Permit Recommended Is Not for Rothman,” The Englewood Record, October 26, 1929.

“Rothman and Mayor Dispute Before the Englewood Council,” The Englewood Record, August 21, 1929.

“Whirling Dervish Is Far Outclassed by Mayor Thomson,” The Englewood Record, September 18, 1929.

“Procrastination Is Easy Way to Kill Applications,” The Englewood Record, September 23, 1929.

“Announcing the Grand Opening of the Oriental American Chinese Restaurant,” advertisement, The Englewood Record, November 22, 1929.

“Chinese Restaurant Permit Recommended Is Not for Rothman,” October 26, 1929.

“Rothman and Mayor Dispute Before the Englewood Council,” August 21, 1929.