Chan’s Restaurant in Wexford town. Photo taken in November 2014.
Chan’s was situated at 90 North Main Street in Wexford town.
Raymond and Rose Chan opened the popular Chinese restaurant in the early 1980s. It closed in December 2021 after they decided to retire.
Most Wexford people will have eaten here at some point, especially anyone who grew up during the 1980s or 1990s. Back then, there wasn’t a lot of choice for different types of food in the town. If you weren’t into pub grub, then your options were typically limited to Chinese food, pizza, or fish and chips.
Many a communion and confirmation meal were held inside those walls.
I remember going to Chans with my family on Christmas Eve in the late 1990s. The smoking ban was years away, so most restaurants had a smoking and non-smoking section. To this day, I still remember seeing a blonde, middle-aged woman sitting by herself at the window on the left, lighting up a cigarette just moments after she had finished her meal.
Different times that seem a lifetime away.
Although a handful of other Chinese restaurants sprung up over the years, Chans will always be remembered as one of the originals.
Following its closure, the building became the home of a new Indo-Thai restaurant called Copper Chimney.
And let’s not forget Chan’s Takeaway in Selskar:
Chan’s Takeaway was situated at 15 Selskar Street.
The building above is now home to Prime Pizza.
