New Details on Butte’s Oldest Restaurant Closing Forever

BUTTE, MT - A Quiet Stir in Butte, taken from an article in Cowboy State Daily (CSD), written by David Madison.

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It’s a sentence that feels impossible to say out loud in Butte: Pekin Noodle Parlor might be closing.

For more than 110 years, the restaurant has served as a living piece of Montana history—America’s oldest continuously operating Chinese restaurant, right here on South Main Street.

But now, its fifth-generation owner, Jerry Tam, is openly considering stepping away. And with him, an entire chapter of Butte’s soul might close too.

“I want to be in Hawaii,” Jerry says to CSD. “I don’t want to cook food anymore.”

The words come heavy, sounding like they were spoken not with anger, but a kind of weariness that only comes from carrying too much history, too long.

A Century of Community

Pekin Noodle Parlor’s story began in 1909, when Jerry’s great-great-grandfather, Tam Kwong Yee, came to Butte from Guangzhou, China.

At the time, Butte was booming—the “Richest Hill on Earth”—and the Noodle Parlor became a gathering place for miners, musicians, and late-night politicians.

Tucked among the neon signs and historic buildings, it survived Prohibition with underground tunnels, grew bean sprouts in its basement, and served a unique brand of Chinese-American comfort food that kept customers coming back for generations.

Even today, its signature dishes—like the almond chicken chow mein, sesame pork, and homemade sweet-and-sour sauce—carry the taste of legacy.

Jerry’s Journey: From Butte to the Runway and Back

For a time, Jerry left Butte to pursue a dream in fashion.

He landed on Project Runway in 2008, dressed stars like Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift, and walked the streets of New York City as a designer.

But when his parents began to slow down, Jerry returned. He took over the Noodle Parlor and gave it new life, swapping burgers for traditional dishes, and throwing his energy into keeping the family business alive.

Still, the glamour of his past bubbles up—celebrity anecdotes, movie roles, even sharing a trailer with Cedric The Entertainer on a film set in Nevada City.

And, yet, it all comes back to Butte.

The Weight of Legacy

Running a historic restaurant sounds romantic. But it’s also exhausting.

With DoorDash reshaping expectations, foot traffic declining, and younger generations less attached to old-school dining traditions, nights can be quiet—too quiet.

“I don’t know if anyone is coming anymore,” Jerry says to CSD. “If I don’t have people here at 6:30 p.m., they’re not coming.”

Some nights, he sends his staff home early. And that’s when the doubts creep in.

Danny’s Shadow, Butte’s Heart

Jerry’s father, Danny Wong, sadly passed away in 2020.

For decades, Danny was a local icon, not just in the restaurant world, but in Montana politics. Campaign trails often ran through the Noodle Parlor, and stories of Danny’s hospitality remain etched in Butte’s memory.

Now Jerry wonders if he can keep the dream alive.

“We have the best people in Butte,” he says to CSD, referring to his loyal staff.

But even with good people, running a restaurant like this—steeped in history and expectation—can feel like running uphill in a storm.

A Future Unwritten

What happens next?

Jerry doesn’t know. He dreams aloud of building a barndominium, of finding a wife, of one day convincing Taylor Swift to perform in Butte, fulfilling a promise she made back when she wore one of his dresses on MTV.

And, of course, Hawaii.

But these are dreams. And the present is real: empty booths, fading neon, and a legacy he’s unsure he can carry any longer.

“I want to do things,” Jerry says quietly to CSD. “I don’t want to live in my parents’ house. I want to sleep. I want to hang out with my cat and die on some beach.”

It sounds like a joke. But it also sounds like a sincere man wishing to find again the sincerity of his own life.

Before It’s Too Late

If you’ve never been to Pekin Noodle Parlor, go. If you’ve gone a hundred times, go again.

Because you don’t get many places like this. Places with real roots, real stories, and real people who cared enough to keep them alive.

This isn’t just a restaurant. It’s the story of Butte. And it may not be around much longer.

So pull up a seat. Order the No. 5. Let Jerry slide a plate in front of you. And take it all in—while you still can.