Johnny Quong, 75, a former Utahn and well-known owner and operator of a number of restaurants in the Salt Lake area, died Sept. 19, 1999, at a Reno hospital.
Mr. Quong, who was the owner of King Quong Restaurant, the Hawaiian, Papa Quongs Pier 54 and the Beachboy restaurants, passed away at Washoe Medical Center. He had lived the past four years in Dayton, Nev.Born in 1923 in Canton, China, he came to the United States as an 11-year-old during the Depression, landing in San Francisco with little money. He worked as a cowboy in Montana, where he went to junior high school by day and worked in a Chinese laundry at night. He was an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force during World War II.
After the war, he began selling a pre-fabricated do-it-yourself chow mein to the local grocery stores under the trade name of Chinafood Products Co.
By 1970 Mr. Quong employed 200 people at four restaurants -- two Beach Boys, the Hawaiian and the Tiki Hut.
Mr. Quong was a member of the Utah Restaurant Association and the Executive Club.
Memorial services have been held.