Woo's Pagoda Restaurant Closes; Will Be A Nightclub For Now
Woo's Pagoda Restaurant Closes; Will Be A Nightclub For Now Save Email Print
Posted: 11:11 AM Dec 11, 2008
 Last Updated: 11:16 AM Dec 11, 2008
 Email Address: news@weau.com
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A restaurant with more than 60 years of history in the Chippewa Valley isn't a restaurant for now.

Woo’s Pagoda in Eau Claire says the people leasing the restaurant said they were closing Saturday night, and then moved out of town. There’s no word on why those people moved. Owner Terry Voss says he's running the business as a night club for now. He says his staff will be cleaning for the next few weeks.

Voss says he'll start looking for someone else to lease the business at the end of the year. He says he hopes it will again be a restaurant, although he says he's not sure what kind of food would be served.

Voss blames a weak economy and the city's workplace smoking ban for the change.

Woo’s had been serving Chinese food at Hastings Way and Brackett Avenue since 1946.
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Posted by: bob Location: chippewa valley on Mar 5, 2009 at 02:36 PM
No big loss! The food was horrible, overpriced, and its "midwest chinsese'
Posted by: jennylou Location: Eau Claire, Wi on Jan 22, 2009 at 09:50 PM
From what I can tell the resturant/bar are being remodled not "cleaned", it's starting to look really good, seems like they are having music more often. Maybe it is too soon to throw in the towel over the economic loss of the resturant. I'd rather drink at a local non-smoking bar and go outside to smoke than go to an altoona bar.
Posted by: jeff Location: ricelake on Dec 12, 2008 at 01:06 PM
I have been eating there for over 30 years im from eau claire,the food use to be better in the old days but we still made a night of it then we could NOT SMOKE we stoped going to the bar,out side did not cut it,so we went out of town,we only spent a couple hundred,and you do that by a cuople hundred people THAT STOPPED GOING TO EAU CLAIRE,HOW MENNY PLACES HAVE TO CLOSE,for this NO SMOKING we no longer go out down there and we know a lot of other people that go out of eau claire for the night.
Posted by: Kiah Stafne-Tesch Location: Woos Bartender on Dec 12, 2008 at 11:18 AM
by the way one thing on here that tv13 forgot to mention is that we even have a bar/lounge. and that's where the nightclub thing came from. it s an easy transformation for us, because the restauraunt part opened up to the bar on friday nights anyways because we have bands there every friday. so sorry that this article confuses people on the transition :-)
Posted by: Kiah Stafne-Tesch Location: Woo's Lounge EC on Dec 12, 2008 at 11:03 AM
Guys it was crucial what happened. the people that leased just came to my boss on saturday, "oh by the way we're this is our last night open" and on friday they moved to alaska. sounded fidhy to us all there. but our bar is what brought most people in anways and we're still open. the cleaning part in this did not mean that it was gross, my boss is just giving it a "facelift" and opening it open, becuase they people running the restauraunt left ALOT of stuff behind so we're trying to take care of it. some of you did not need to be cruel about it, because obviosly you havent been there in a while....woo's has changed tremendously in the past couple of years.
Posted by: mike Location: wi on Dec 12, 2008 at 06:12 AM
If the smoking ban was an issue, why are they changing it into a nightclub?
Posted by: dan turk Location: rice lake on Dec 11, 2008 at 11:17 PM
They were doomed the day shanghai opened.
Posted by: JC Location: EC on Dec 11, 2008 at 06:52 PM
I forgot this place was even there......
Posted by: Taze Location: Various on Dec 11, 2008 at 04:51 PM
As amusing as a Chinese restaurant going nightclub is, I’ve actually had a couple of drinks there. The beer was cold and I’m one of the many patrons that felt I was fully serviced by stopping in. So why not just turn up your pacemakers, grab some take out, have a drink with my Facebook friend W. Pagoda, and party on smartly… Woo-Hoo!
Posted by: Chris Location: EC on Dec 11, 2008 at 02:39 PM
I have been to Woo's several times many years ago and smoking was never an issue. Interesting that he has to bring up the smoking ban where it doesnt apply.
Posted by: Humored Location: Chippewa Falls on Dec 11, 2008 at 01:31 PM
"Voss blames a weak economy and the city's workplace smoking ban for the change." Just had a find a way to through in the smoking ban, huh? Anyone that has been to Woo's would certainly know just from visiting the place a few times that the smoking ban was the last thing that caused this place to be abandoned. As mentioned, maybe the horrible food, service and simply getting the orders correct played a part? Maybe it's just me ...
Posted by: Charlie Chan Location: Eau Claire on Dec 11, 2008 at 11:41 AM
yikes.."cleaning for the next few weeks"??..Glad I haven't stopped there in years...
Posted by: Cory Location: EC on Dec 11, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Honestly, the food has gone downhill in the past years! I remember my family getting carry-out every Saturday night and it was great. My wife and I got carry-out earlier this year and the food was terrible, not to mention they mesed up the order twice, causing me to drive accross town to bring it back and get the right stuff.
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