TWIN DRAGON

taking a call. “ is one’s crying. I can see Joe’s even having tears. ey love us.”

On April 30, after 47 years of owning and running one of Englewood’s most-beloved Chinese restaurants, Shiou will be retiring. With her retirement, the Twin Dragon will close its doors in a community that has steadfastly supported and enjoyed the restaurant and the relationships built there over the years.

Path to the Twin Dragon

Shiou’s father, a peasant farmer in China, ed to what is now North Korea during World War II. Shortly after that, Shiou’s family was forced to ee again to what is now South Korea, where Shiou grew up. She attended college in Taiwan, where she studied education and history, and later earned a master’s degree in business from a university in Japan.

“Her whole dream was to go west into the land of opportunity, a beacon of freedom and opportunity and enrichment in the United States,” Joe said.

She was granted a student visa to study at the University of Denver and, once in Colorado, started working at the Twin Dragon as a server. When the owner had to move back to Hong Kong, he saw potential in Shiou.

“ e owner sees … that my mom is hardworking and honest and looking for opportunity and gave her the opportunity to sell her the business,” Joe said.

For a highly-educated woman, Shiou said moving into the restaurant business was a bit frustrating, as it felt like it brought her down a level. Working in the restaurant business, no matter how many other skills a person may have, is a common experience for many Asian Americans, Joe said.

“My mother had a master’s degree from Japan before even immigrating here,” he said. “But, you know, the opportunity really is in entrepreneurship, due to barriers of entry back then — and my mother’s female and Chinese … she’s not gonna get some big corporate gig or something like that.”

“When we talk to other people about their experience, it’s amazing, like you go back one generation — even super successful families — and they worked at a restaurant their rst six months coming to the United States,” Joe continued. “Because there was some sense of community, there was some sense of support and some familiarity.”

Over time, Shiou began to fall in love with the restaurant business. Instead of being just a job, the Twin Dragon became her community after spending so much of her life feeling like an outsider in the places she lived.

“I enjoy it,” she said. “I talk to the people, I really do enjoy it … I feel all those years (before coming to the U.S.), I had no roots.”

But over the past 47 years, her roots have grown deep.

“Sometimes she describes it as, she felt like (an) outsider in every com- munity,” Joe said. “And now she feels like she belongs.”

A community hub

During its tenure on South Broadway in Englewood, the Twin Dragon has served as a meeting place for many local groups and even visitors from out of state and country.

“I love the people,” Shiou said. “We do help the community a lot, you know, we do a lot of things in this restaurant.”

Regulars from the Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce and the Lions Club frequented the restaurant, Shiou said. In addition, VIPs from Taiwan have enjoyed Shiou’s o -menu “real Chinese food” (as opposed to the mainly Americanized menu) at the back corner table.

“I cooked for two days for them, just for them,” Shiou said.

She has fed ambassadors, members of the U.S. Department of Transportation and Denver Broncos players meeting their families after games.

Shiou also puts extra e ort into supporting the Asian American community in Englewood. During the pandemic, she and her sta organized community outreach events, like delivering meals to the hospital, to bring the community together to combat Asian hate. ey also host Chinese New Year and other parties for the community.

“I think people come for the food, rst and foremost, but I think keep coming back maybe for relationship and community,” Joe said.

Onto what’s next

Shiou, who has spent most of her life working 10 hours a day, seven days a week, said she is looking forward to traveling during her retirement. She hopes to return to South Korea, Taiwan and Japan to visit the places she grew up and went to school.

“ en, maybe (I’ll) try to write a book,” she said, adding that it would be about her life.

As she looks forward to a break, many loyal customers are heartbroken to see the restaurant close.

“I’m very sad about it, I really am,” said Colleen Binder, turning to Shiou. “I’ve lived here for 50 years and this is where we go for Chinese food. But I think it’s necessary, and you’ve worked hard, and you’ve made this what it is.”

Brian Hart, whose father and stepmother were engaged at the Twin Dragon in 1982, said he was also sad to see the restaurant close.

As a neighboring small business owner of Frame de Art, just down the street, Hart said he hopes whoever moves into the restaurant’s space will be good neighbors.

“I’ve had a lot of meetings here over the years and you guys have been a big supporter of the chamber and so many community events,” he said to Joe. “As a small business owner just on the same block … I hope it’s something that’s good, that can be great neighbors.”

Although he is not sure exactly what the new business will be, Joe said another Chinese family will take over the space and will likely operate something similar to the Twin Dragon.

After many years of bringing the Englewood community together, Joe said he and his mother are excited to be a part of the community in new ways.

“We’ll go to other people’s parties,” he said. “We never have time to go to other people’s parties … at’ll be a weird feeling, you know, because even during parties, we feel like we’re working.”

Shiou, who continued to answer the phone and bring out food as she answered questions, had to pause a few moments to let her emotions pass.

“My mom genuinely feels like she lived her American dream here because of (the Englewood community),” Joe said. “And their acceptance and support and relationship and love.” e Twin Dragon’s last day in business will be April 30. To celebrate, the family will host a goodbye party from 1 until 4 p.m. on April 29 in the restaurant at 3021 S. Broadway, where customers and neighbors can drop in and share their appreciation for the establishment.

But after almost 50 years of service, Joe and the Twin Dragon’s loyal customers all agree: Shiou deserves some time to relax and enjoy her life.