Business 1 on 1 with Peter Wu, owner of China Inn

Peter Wu, owner of China Inn, 3268 Vineville Ave., 477-1200. Open 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., Monday-Saturday.

How long have you been in business?: “In 1987 my uncle had the restaurant on Riverside Drive (in the former Loco’s restaurant) and asked my family to come down here to manage his restaurant.”

Wu was living in New York City at the time, and Macon “was a lot different.” He and his brother came to Macon and managed the restaurant for their uncle until 1989.

Then they opened a restaurant near Westgate Mall on Eisenhower Parkway.

“We opened this (Vineville Avenue) location (25 years ago), and it used to be take-out only. My family managed the other one.”

The dining room at the Vineville restaurant opened in 1998.

What do you like best about your job?: “I cook the food and serve the food, and people say ‘you’re good.’ After they finish the meal, they smile at me and say ‘see you next time.’”

“Some of the people who were children when we opened, they still come back and bring their children now. Three or four generations, they come back. Sometimes they go away to college, and they come back and say ‘are you still here?’ ... I’m happy to see them come back.”

What is your specialty?: “We specialize in the hibachi meals and the teriyaki meals. ... The most popular are chicken teriyaki and hibachi steak.”

What are your future plans?: “I just want to continue to cook the best food for my customers.”

– Linda S. Morris

This story was originally published September 27, 2015 at 10:17 PM with the headline "Business 1 on 1 with Peter Wu, owner of China Inn ."