Far East Restaurant, Grand Junction, Colorado 1955 [2006] 1530 North Avenue Grand Junction Mesa Colorado 81501 USA Far East Restaurant, Grand Junction, Colorado: An important restaurant and community meeting place for the residents of Mesa County for many years. The Far East was founded by the father and uncle of Ray Wah Ngep Quan in 1955. The Quan family had previously owned and operated restaurants in Amarillo, Texas and Albuquerque, New Mexico. They moved to Grand Junction because they wanted to be in a smaller community and because the community was busy at that time due to the uranium boom. The location was scouted by Mrs. Jones from Jones Realty and the building was constructed by Mr. Bray of Bray Realty. At the time of its opening, the restaurant at 1530 North Avenue was one of just a few east of 12th Street. Ray Quan took over the management of the restaurant. In doing so, he continually monitored the quality of the food, the facility and dining surroundings, the service, and the cleanliness. In the early 1980’s, he renovated the building to more greatly reflect his Chinese heritage and the cultures of other Asian nations. According to a history of the Far East Restaurant written by George A. Woolsey Jr. in 1984: “That [Chinese] tradition is reflected in the newly built tri-level Far East building with everything from the large Chinese lamps imported from Hong Kong to the white and green marble from Taiwan that lines the entry and decorates the restrooms to the 65,000 pounds of glazed tile for the roof.” The remodeled building, which opened in 1983, had meeting and banquet rooms that accommodated large gatherings. After the remodel, the restaurant had three levels. It employed about 30 people on average, including three cooks from China. Many of the employees had worked there for years. Ray Quan brought his children into the restaurant business. According to the Grand Junction City Directory, he remained the owner of the restaurant until the time of his death in 2003. At that time, his son Tom Quan took over as the owner. The restaurant closed permanently in 2006 or 2007. The building remains as of 2024. yes yes