Doing business in heaven

John Cai remains humble, even though he and his wife, Ling, came to the United States without knowing a lick of English and still managed to build a reputable restaurant.

Cai brought his family here and, after managing the China Palace on Broadway in Cape Girardeau for almost 12 years, is ready to pass down the business to the next generation.

"Time to take a little rest," said Cai, who's 47. He said he had to work 14-hour days all week long to make the Chinese food restaurant a success.

Now Cai's nephew, Peter Cai, 26, is taking over. "Peter's ready to do business," Cai said.

Cai came to the United States from Shaoxing, China, in 1992 to work at the former Golden Dragon Restaurant -- the first Chinese food restaurant in Cape Girardeau. Cai's cousin, Peter Choi, owned the restaurant. When Cai learned that the China Palace, established in 1993, was up for lease, he assumed operation.

Dina Cai, center, served Dale and Mary Ann Tierney Friday at China Palace. Dina married Peter Cai in February and now helps with the family business.

Cai remembers when he and his family first landed in Detroit to catch a flight to St. Louis. He said the airport looked so big to him, and he was lost. He showed his plane ticket to a flight attendant and the woman took him and his family to their gate.

"She was smiling. She said, 'Is this your son? Cute boy,'" he said. "I'll never forget that woman. Always smiling. That was my first memory here."

Cai said the Chinese love America. They call it heaven.

"People treat each other nice," he said. "People help each other here, without asking for money. In China, they want money."

One person who helped Cai's family make it in Cape Girardeau was the late Alberta Loos. Loos was a retired school teacher who volunteered her time with the adult education and literacy program at the Adult Learning Center on Clark Street.

While teaching the Cais to speak English, Loos became a friend of the family, visiting their home and constantly bringing new customers to the restaurant.

"Big loss," Cai said. "We still miss Alberta. I'm always thinking of her. Great person."

Peter Cai, who delivered food for China Palace for the past seven years, said he hopes that the same people continue to stop by. It's still a place for the community to not only eat, but come together, he said.

Peter came here with the same idea as John -- to live the American dream.

Peter said he wants to travel around the United States one day and discover how other people live, although he said he likes the small-town feel of Cape Girardeau.

"If you work hard enough, you get a better job in America," said Peter, explaining his family's philosophy. "Nothing's impossible in freedom country. We came to feel the freedom."

But Peter admits that he still misses China. "That's why we named a dish after our hometown," he said, referring to the Shaoxing platter on the menu.

Peter has visited China twice to see his then-fiancee, Dina Cai. He maintained a long-distance relationship with her for the past three-and-a-half years. "We kept in touch by e-mail and chatting online every day," Dina said.

Dina came to the United States and married Peter right in the China Palace in February. Now she's working at the family restaurant.

"We don't have time to have a honeymoon," Peter said.

Immigrants have always come to the United States to seek opportunity, but each person has their own story.

Sam Prasanphanich, owner of Pagoda Gardens Chinese Restaurant on South Kingshighway, made his way to Cape Giradeau from Thailand to go to school at Southeast Missouri State Univerisity.

Prasanphanich's business story is more clear-cut than the Cais'.

"I got married to a local and kind of was stuck looking for a way to make a living in the area," he said. After Prasanphanich graduated, he married Debby East. He ended up partnering with a friend from school to start a restaurant in 1981, and has since taken full control of the business.

Back when the establishment first opened, there was only one Chinese food restaurant in the area. Prasanphanich said there was a lot of potential in the food industry at the time. He brought the Chinese buffet concept to Cape Girardeau. He said he got the idea from bigger cities.

Prasanphanich has three sons with college educations in the area and, unlike Cai's family, they do not intend to take over the restaurant.

"Maybe it's a smart move," Prasanphanich said. "It's a lot of work. Not like in the old days. There's a lot of competition now. Cape has too many restaurants."

Cape Girardeau has about a half-a-dozen restaurants specializing in Asian food.

Prasanphanich said he'll consider retiring some day but is probably going to ask someone to take over the business.

"We like to keep our employees here," he said. "Some have been with us for 20, 25 years. We kind of grew up together."

tkrakowiak@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137