SAUGUS — Dragon Island, which has operated in town for 40 years, will officially close on Oct. 27 but hopes to reopen at a new location in Saugus or a nearby area.
Owner Albert Lau is sad to close as he has enjoyed being in the town and getting to know everyone there.
“At the beginning, it was a little slow…Later on, we got really busy because of the General Electric plant. It got really busy at least three times a day, from 11:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.,” Lau said.
There was a time when the restaurant needed two car deliveries due to the number of orders that would come in, thanks to football games.
The restaurant was very successful in its prime, but Lau is now struggling due to lawyer fees from a battle with the restaurant’s landlord.
“I was planning on making t-shirts for the 40-year anniversary and saying thank you, but it didn’t work because I spent way too much money on the lawyer fees,” he said.
Lau tried his best to improve his relationship with his landlord, but he was ultimately told that it would be easier for him to find a different location.
“Finally, we were told you got to get out of here because it’s going to benefit…We’re definitely looking for a new site…We still have a lot of work to do,” he said.
Lau feels very fortunate and proud of himself for serving his community for the years he’s been there. He’s even had people fly into Boston to get one more of his famous egg rolls.
“Cooking is my passion. I love cooking, and I cook for people, and they’re happy,” Lau said.
He also said he enjoys being creative with his food and making it different from other restaurants.
Lau’s issues with the landlord also came from maintenance problems in the building.
“We had an insurance company come to do an audit, Hop International, and they do a lot of restaurants. They found out that the circuit breakers don’t work,” he said.
According to Lau, turning on the AC or plugging in the soda machines in the lobby caused popping noises because the circuits were not working correctly.
“I would like to meet with the town manager to investigate what’s going on now. It’s really a safety problem,” he said.
Lau has truly embraced his role in Saugus and the surrounding communities and is doing his best to give back to everyone.
“I used to cook turkey for my customers. I did 80 in one day. I went from open to close…I just made sure everybody went home happy with the turkey. For Christmas, I did the same thing…Everybody wants to go home with holiday happiness,” he said.
Lau also taught at Johnson and Wales University in Colorado, and when he flew there, he brought different people with him to enjoy the experience.
“Every time I bring different people…because I want them to enjoy the college feeling because some people might not have a chance to go to college. Financially, it’s hard, so they have to work instead. Working gives good experience, though,” he said.
In the end, Lau finished with an important message he would say during class: “What you learned is yesterday. What you do is tomorrow. Creation has no limit.”
This is a saying Lau uses not only when talking about food but also many other creative subjects.
