“At that time nobody would walk around,” Buory Lee said. “Later on it will be a very busy place.”

Despite slow foot traffic, the Kong did not wait long to experience success.

“First when we opened it was very busy, but later on the business dropped,” she added.

According to Paul Lee, the Lee family went from bank to bank until they were able to secure a loan and buy out the other partners around 1956.

During the 1960’s, Cambridge landowner Bertha Cohen expressed interest in buying the building. However, Buory Lee did her best to persuade Cohen not to buy the building.

“Every week we’d cook lobster and white rice [to bring over to Cohen],” Buory Lee said. Whether it was the lobster or Lee’s persistence, Cohen held off from purchasing the building, and in 1970 the Lees finally bought the property outright.

After securing ownership of the building, the Lee family continued to work hard in order to make a living to support their three kids, Paul Lee said.

“For us this was a real livelihood, this is how they put food on the table,” he said. “It’s almost like their work rather than their passion.”

Throughout the Kong’s history, the restaraunt has developed close ties to customers and the community. The restaurant even has a positive reputation with Chinese tourists, according to Buory Lee.

“They say our food is very good,” she said.

For many Harvard students of all ages, the Kong’s legacy has been as a typical weekend destination for hanging out and for a late night meal.

“The Kong is a classic late night spot,” R. Christopher Read II '17 said. “Either coming from late night festivities or preparing for a late night of studying, the Kong fulfills both roles.”

Daniel J. Rhodes '01 spent many nights with members of the Harvard Marching Band at the Kong and has been a frequenter of the restaurant ever since.

“I got to know the staff there,” said Rhodes. “I’ve been going there for 15 years now, and it’s nice to see that it’s still there.”

Dean of Freshmen Thomas A. Dingman '67 also has many memories of going to the restaurant as a student.