Rumours of a ‘new Willow’ have been sparked by another Chinese restaurant’s recent application to significantly extend its license for sale of alcohol and opening hours to 3.30am.
A notice which is currently outside the restaurant’s window declares that, under the Licensing Act 2003, Mr Chong Hung Chun aims to extend his restaurant’s hours for regulated entertainment and sale of alcohol to 10-3.30 and “add entertainment facilities with a similar description to making music and dancing from 10-3.30.”
The establishment, Regency Restaurant, situated on 16 Barbican Road, is in an ideal location for students returning to the University from town after a night out.
Whilst Mr Chong Hung Chun was unable for comment as he is currently not in York and does not speak English, York Vision tracked down his wife and fellow owner of the restaurant, Annie Peng.
Describing what the current refurbishments would entail, Peng spoke with some pride about the construction of a “new high-tech disco-hall to play records” and “several other rooms for socialising.”
Though she admitted that the dance room itself would “probably not be able to fit too many people,” she assured that “at night there will obviously be no customers in the restaurant so we will push back the tables and make more room for dancing there.”
When asked for more definitive details on what the principle aims of the refurbishments would be, she cautioned that at the moment it was simply “too early to say because we won’t be ready for a few more months.”
After questions were asked about the proposed entrance fees, she insisted that this “is also something we still think would be premature to discuss – there are a few important meetings with the Council to come in the next few weeks and after that we will know more.”
It is not completely certain if the City of York Council will accept the restaurant’s application, with the deadline for opposition being the 24th of October. Regardless, the Regency Restaurant is currently undergoing serious refurbishment, suggesting that Mr Chong Hung Chun himself is confident the proposals will be accepted.
Certainly, the restaurant’s similarities with the infamous student night spot Willow are striking, but when asked whether they were copying Tommy Fong’s pioneering concept, Peng denied ever having been to the club-restaurant. Once informed of Willow’s unique features, in particular the policy of giving free prawn crackers over the course of the night, she expressed interest and said she would “talk about it with the boss” as something to replicate.
Despite their similarities, it would seem that the original York institution is not unduly troubled by the recent developments.
When asked about the emergence of serious competition to his clubbing empire, Willow owner Tony Fong told Vision: “that’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”
After inquiring whether Willow would be able to survive the new competition, Mr Fong pointed to the dance floor, smiled, and said, “well , look at it.”
“I’m alright, Willow’s alright, if not the best,” the man commonly-called the ‘Willow King’ added.
University of York students seem similarly sure that Willow has nothing to worry about.
“What makes Willow so great is its uniqueness and its history,” second-year Vanbrugh student Max Brewer told Vision. “You have to realise that Willow was not built in a day.
“For me the miracle of Willow is somewhat akin to the miracle of life on this planet: it requires the simultaneous existence of so many different factors that it is very unlikely it could exist and flourish anywhere else – Willow would be nothing, for example, without the admirable initiative and genius of the Fong family.”
Joel Brocklehurst, second-year Derwent student, seemed to agree: “Can you imagine there ever being T-shirts with ‘Regency Restaurant’ on the front? No.
“Personally, I think that playing Tommy Fong at his own game – if that is what they are doing – is not a good idea and would strongly advise against it. It is a well-known fact among those in the right circles that Tommy Fong is a dangerous man to mess with.”
On the other hand, many welcomed the prospect of a potential rivalry.
“I think it can’t be a bad thing if Tommy Fong is given a bit more competition,” History of Art student and Willow-regular Isabella Clark told Vision. “At the moment I think he is a bit too comfortable in his boots – he knows he doesn’t have to do anything because, when it gets past a certain hour, students have nowhere else to go.
“I actually think that, if these rumours are realised, this could go down as a big moment in the history of York clubbing.”
Only time will tells what this new development will mean for the unique face of York’s night life.
Comments about the history of Willow from second year students are completely invalid, since they arrived the year after it inexplicably became York’s most packed out venue every night of the week.
It’s the kind of mindless arse kissing that people like Brewer here are offering to Fong that allows him to be the jumped-up prick that he is.
Have you ever tried to talk to the man? He’s just a nasty piece of work. You’d think after the vast donations I’ve made to his cause he’d at least be grateful.
And of course last years willow-loving freshers will be taking this year’s soon to be willow-loving freshers there so they can all see how ‘fun’ it is, and this will carry on year upon year, and allow Tommy to have all you peasants cough up to Lord Fong in this ridiculous feudal system you have allowed him to create.
Nice one.
Fuck Tommy Fong
Like Adam says, Fong is a vile human being. They’ve already had one bouncer stripped of his licence for groping girls and taking bribes, and he was more than happy to turn a blind eye…
But of course, all the new cool kids gotta love the hype.
Anyone who pays £4 to go to Willow on a saturday night when you could go to the vastly superior Stonelove at fibbers needs their head looking at.
Leave it yeah?
that”s definitely the reason why our t-shirts have love it or hate it and I figure that out of the total student population in York there cannot be more than 10% of the student population that actually appreciation the Willow.
But at least the small percentage of students the Willow has become ( a school disco) to them been ,I hope an enjoyable experience.
We are a very small venue and maintain our survival on students and regulars as in the months when the students are on vacation we become exceptionally quiet, thus as Bill above commented my reply is that we need to balance our books, but saying that he is right the students of York have many venues to choose from and my wish that they enjoy themselves (whether in the Willow or not) whilst they are still young because when once graduate they will have a lot more responsibility and with that headaches and stress.
also for the rest of the comments, I believe everyone is entitled to their opinions, I have been called many different names, even last week i was called (pretty aggressively by some overgrown chav} f…… c… and asked me why he was not allowed into the establishment.
other comments mainly from the chavs of York were fairly racialist, I was once told I was an illegally immigrant and should go back to my own country although I was born in Darlington: and like the first comment above I had been called a little hitler so he is not the only one who thinks I am a nasty piece of work.
my comment to the idea of another venue similar to that of the Willow, things do not last forever, I have been at the Willow for 39 years although it has only been the willow disco for the last four years, I am satisfied in that I have had a good run, no regrets whatsoever even though I have made quite a few people disliking me, it has been interesting in creating the willow disco.