Former Golden Asian Buffet building remains empty, for sale

CRESTVIEW — For more than a year, the sign in front of the former Yumi Buffet on South Ferdon Boulevard has read “reopen soon” and “new management.” But that is unlikely to be the case.

The business officially shut its doors in early 2017 after four closures in three years.

Now the 7,385-square-foot building remains empty. Crestview Growth Management Director Teresa Gaillard said she hasn't seen any submissions to change that.

In addition to health violations, the company had issues with taxes.

A sign on the door of the restaurant states that $973.88 in property taxes has not been paid, and the property is subject to seizure. The notice warns owners to leave all furniture, equipment and fixtures within the building or face one-year imprisonment and/or a $1,000 fine.

The owed amount stems from unpaid tangible personal property taxes in 2015. Yumi Buffet — previously Golden Asian Buffet — also owes $660.83 in unpaid taxes from 2016.

The restaurant made a payment in 2016 but it was for taxes owed from 2014, according to public tax documents.

Beach Community Bank currently owns the foreclosed property, according to the Okaloosa County Property Appraiser’s website. The bank purchased the property in late 2016 for $350,100.

According to Scott McCormick, Beach Community Bank senior vice president, the property is for sale through two brokers.

HEALTH VIOLATIONS

The restaurant was forced to close for the fourth and final time in February 2017 for a citation of 20 health violations, including six high-priority concerns, according to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s inspection report.

In October 2016, an inspector found about 75 droppings in addition to food storage violations. Another closure occurred in June 2016, when the business had 48 violations, 14 of which were high-priority. Approximately 230 rodent droppings were found during that inspection.

The restaurant also closed in May 2014 when over 50 droppings and about 37 live roaches were found in the kitchen. The restaurant reportedly has had 25 complaint-driven inspections since April 2014.

Google reviews from the weeks leading up to the restaurant’s final closure cite “poor quality food” for the 2.2-star ranking. Some even said they received food poisoning from eating there or saw live bugs in and near the food.

Just after the restaurant’s final closure in 2017, the owner, Chen Chong, told the Crestview News Bulletin that he planned to change the restaurant's manager and staff to improve the restaurant’s conditions and stimulate income growth to afford taxes.

However, Chong left the business and all the assets inside. There was no recent contact information available for Chong.

PROPERTY HISTORY

In 1978, Alvin “Al” and Faye McLain of Crestview purchased the property and built McLain’s Family Steakhouse, according to the Okaloosa County Property Appraiser’s website.

The McLains also owned a restaurant by the same name in DeFuniak Springs which opened in 1996. The Crestview location was open for many years before the couple sold it to Florida West Properties Inc. in 1998.

The McLain’s Family Steakhouse is still in operation in DeFuniak; however, the McLains sold the business in 1998.

A Sonny’s Real-Pit BBQ soon opened at the Crestview property and remained in business for 10 years.

In 2008, Crestview Trading Co. LLC purchased the building for $1.5 million and Golden Asian Buffet opened. After Crestview Trading Co.’s owner, Donald Moore, died in 2015. The company was dissolved, but the restaurant stayed open.

Daily News reporter Alicia Adams contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Former Golden Asian Buffet building remains empty, for sale