The flagship store of Kao Chi (高記), a restaurant known for serving Shanghai delicacies in Taipei’s Yongkang Street commercial circle, is to close its business before the end of the month.
Kao Chi made the announcement on Wednesday after the Taipei City Government found the three-story building on Yongkang Street that houses the restaurant in contravention of building regulations.
The Building Administration Office said after a public safety check that the second and third floors of the restaurant were categorized as “collective resident units,” but used as dining spaces without approval.
Photo: Yang Hsin-hui, Taipei Times
The office ordered Kao Chi to change the building’s usage license to that for a restaurant before the end of the month, or face a fine of up to NT$300,000 (US$10,212) for breaching the Building Act (建築法).
Instead of making the changes, Kao Chi decided to shut the store after closing its three other restaurants in Taipei this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tomorrow will be its last day of operation, it said.
However, it is looking for a new place to rent near the commercial circle and plans to resume operations by the end of the year.
Kao Chi started selling Shanghai delicacies from a mobile street stand in 1949. It opened its first restaurant on Yongkang Street in 1969 and later added three outlets.
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