Update: How you can help owners of temporarily closed Jimy Wen’s restaurant in Fresno
UPDATE: A GoFundMe fundraising campaign was started this week to benefit the family who owns Jimy Wen’s Chinese restaurant.
According to the post by a friend of the family: “Karen Wen took the heaviest blow in the incident and her extended hospital stays have created mounting medical bills well beyond what the involved party’s insurance carriers provide making it incredibly challenging to keep up with their everyday expenses. Their worry is very real.”
Donations will help with the bills, but also help them eventually reopen the restaurant.
So far, 62 people have donated $4,765 of the $180,000 goal.
ORIGINAL STORY: When one of the owners of a little mom-and-pop restaurant has to take some downtime, it can affect the entire business.
Such is the case at locally owned Chinese restaurant Jimy Wen’s. It’s been closed since late April, when the family who runs it — James, Karen and daughter Hana — was in a car crash on the way to work.
The restaurant, on the northwest corner of Cedar and Herndon avenues, has been closed as Karen Wen recovers. She was in a rehabilitation hospital after the collision, as The Bee reported in April, and has since been released.
Nearly four months later, the restaurant is still closed. Many longtime customers have asked The Bee when it will reopen and posted on the Next Door app asking about the family and the restaurant.
The family could not be reached for comment Thursday.
The restaurant posted an update on its Facebook page Wednesday. Wife and mom Karen sustained the “heaviest injury,” in the accident, according to the post.
It continued: “According to her doctors, it will take anywhere between 8 months and 2 years before she is allowed to return to light duty at our humble restaurant. As of now, we are still contemplating the future of ‘Jimy Wen’s’ and how we can move forward.”
The post thanked the public for the huge outpouring of support the family has received.
Every post the restaurant has made has been met with dozens of well wishes. Flowers and letters were sent to their home.
One commenter on Facebook, Tamie Spear Shipman, said: “Hoping for a complete recovery for our friend, Karen. If there’s anything your loyal fans can do to help, please let us know.”
Said Judy Nachtigal on Next Door: “Jimy says people have asked--Why don’t you hire somebody temporarily? He says I would have to hire three somebodies because Karen did so many things. This is a wonderful family--and I know so many are cheering for them and praying for them.”
This story was originally published August 10, 2023 at 12:16 PM.
