Since 1979, Heart’s Coffee Shop in Lake Balboa has been under the careful ownership of Yuk and Sue Wong.
For nearly five decades, they served up diner classics like steak and eggs and a hearty stack of pancakes while infusing the meals with touches that showcased their Chinese heritage.
But on Sunday, every order at the San Fernando Valley mainstay was served with a side of heartbreak as the restaurant marked its final day of business.
“To make the decision was gut-wrenching because it was months and months of mulling it over with my parents and my brother,” said Susan Wong-Young, the daughter of Heart’s owners. She said they really had to consider “what’s the best thing that we can do to honor this restaurant, the community, to make sure that we give it one last hurrah.”
After facing economic hit after hit — from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to the current downturn — the Wongs decided it was time to close down their shop and kick off their retirement.
Sue Wong greets customers as Heart’s restaurant prepares to close after 47 years in Lake Balboa.
“My parents have worked so hard, never taking a vacation for 47 years,” Wong-Young said. “They immigrated here from Hong Kong in 1969 with one dream: to become business owners and to live that American dream and have a good life for their two kids. And they accomplished that tenfold.”
For more than four decades, Yuk Wong has woken up every day at 4 a.m. and cooked bacon from before the sun rises until closing time.
He and his wife gave everything they had to build a community around delicious food and homey vibes. They were committed to that sense of camaraderie with their neighbors, even to their financial detriment.
“The cost of everything has been rising, and my parents really were resistant on raising menu prices because they don’t want the community, the neighborhood, all their regulars to feel the impact and not come back,” Wong-Young said. “They were so scared of them not coming back.
“We haven’t raised prices in over a decade — 13 years — and that’s why the community loves us. But it was at the cost of us not being able to keep it afloat. So my parents started dipping in their savings for the last almost nine months now, and they weren’t making money.”
1. Ish, a family friend of Yuk and Sue Wong, carries the waiting list of customers at the Lake Balboa restaurant on Sunday. 2. Yuk Wong receives an order. 3. Sunday’s waiting list included longtime patrons who stopped by for a final meal.
Crowds of dedicated diners braved the 90-degree heat to line up around the ’50s-style restaurant and took in the sights, sounds and smells of Heart’s for one last time.
Diner Marcelo Rodriguez drove down from Palmdale to pay his respects. The 38-year-old San Fernando Valley native, who is an avid fan of 1950s and ’60s style, lamented the loss of a long-tenured eatery.
“Knowing that it’s not a corporation, it’s not Denny’s, it’s not IHOP,” Rodriguez said, “it’s something much more authentic and real and organic here in the Valley — where mom-and-pop diners are all just disappearing — it’s really sad to see, so I wanted to support it.”
A patron of more than a decade, he first went to the diner on a Valentine’s Day because he was drawn to the giant red heart sign that looms over the restaurant.
“I love the aesthetics at places that are original,” he said. “That it’s family-owned and they’ve been doing this for [over] 40 years is amazing.”
A resident of Oxnard, Channtal Shrauger also made a bit of a drive to fete the closing restaurant.
Jin Chen serves customers at Heart’s, where a family member said the owners were reticent to raise prices, contributing to the decision to shutter the restaurant.
She noted that Heart’s sunsetting highlights an upsetting trend that’s taking over L.A. County.
“In Los Angeles, there’s a lot of history that’s disappearing every single day, and it’s heartbreaking,” Shrauger said. “And these are the last moments that we’ll be able to enjoy the last of what it was. … I did want to get some photos so that I could preserve that history and put the pictures up in our house.”
She also pointed out how the Wongs’ personal journey is emblematic of the larger story of immigrant struggle and success that is found in all corners of L.A.
“Immigration is really important, inclusion is important, diversity is very important,” Shrauger said. The Wongs “served this community for 40 years, and when you think of the hardest-working people, they are immigrants. That’s what was beautiful about America. We were the melting pot. When you think of all of what feeds America, whether it be the fields or the line cooks, it is immigrants.”
Manuel Ramirez of Mission Hills has been a regular at Heart’s since he began working at the Van Nuys Air National Guard Base in 1981.
Sue Wong greets longtime customer Keith Franks on Sunday.
“This used to be a place where everybody came to eat, anybody working in the area,” the 71-year-old Arleta native said. “It’s always been affordable, it’s always been friendly, family-oriented and accessible. They work their tails off every day and never complained; very gracious people. The Wongs are just beautiful people.”
After snapping several selfies with Wong-Young, Ramirez added that some of his favorite memories of the diner were of seeing Wong-Young grow up and help her parents with the restaurant. He reflected on how emotional it was to see the family leave the diner behind.
“It’s sad because I consider them family, and it’s another institution that has longevity here in the Valley,” Ramirez said. “They’ve earned their retirement. “
On the sidewalk in front of the bustling restaurant, the Wong family had set up a table selling Heart’s-branded T-shirts, with all proceeds going to the Wongs’ retirement fund.
Many customers came over to the table to pick up a shirt and share the many fond memories of the eatery with Wong-Young.
“I can’t even put into words how proud I am [of my parents]. Just to see them, even at 80-something years old, and my dad’s still back in the kitchen. He said we won’t stop until we feed the last person today, even if it’s after closing,” Wong-Young said. “They came here with not a word of English in 1969 and $100 in their pocket. I owe everything to them.”
As for retirement life, Yuk Wong is more than ready to leave the working world.
“I asked him, ‘What are you going to enjoy most about retiring, Dad?’” Wong-Young said. “And he said, ‘Waking up, not to an alarm clock, and not having to go in and cook bacon and just being able to have a cup of coffee at home and cook for myself.’”
After the last plate was served up on Sunday — eggs over easy with a side of bacon — an emotional Wong-Young embraced her mother.
“You did great, Mom. You can rest now.”
Yuk Wong enjoys a light meal he prepared himself after stepping away from the grill at Heart’s Coffee Shop.
Since 1979, Heart’s Coffee Shop in Lake Balboa has been under the careful ownership of Yuk and Sue Wong.
For nearly five decades, they served up diner classics like steak and eggs and a hearty stack of pancakes while infusing the meals with touches that showcased their Chinese heritage.
But on Sunday, every order at the San Fernando Valley mainstay was served with a side of heartbreak as the restaurant marked its final day of business.
“To make the decision was gut-wrenching because it was months and months of mulling it over with my parents and my brother,” said Susan Wong-Young, the daughter of Heart’s owners. She said they really had to consider “what’s the best thing that we can do to honor this restaurant, the community, to make sure that we give it one last hurrah.”
After facing economic hit after hit — from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to the current downturn — the Wongs decided it was time to close down their shop and kick off their retirement.
Sue Wong greets customers as Heart’s restaurant prepares to close after 47 years in Lake Balboa.
“My parents have worked so hard, never taking a vacation for 47 years,” Wong-Young said. “They immigrated here from Hong Kong in 1969 with one dream: to become business owners and to live that American dream and have a good life for their two kids. And they accomplished that tenfold.”
For more than four decades, Yuk Wong has woken up every day at 4 a.m. and cooked bacon from before the sun rises until closing time.
He and his wife gave everything they had to build a community around delicious food and homey vibes. They were committed to that sense of camaraderie with their neighbors, even to their financial detriment.
“The cost of everything has been rising, and my parents really were resistant on raising menu prices because they don’t want the community, the neighborhood, all their regulars to feel the impact and not come back,” Wong-Young said. “They were so scared of them not coming back.
“We haven’t raised prices in over a decade — 13 years — and that’s why the community loves us. But it was at the cost of us not being able to keep it afloat. So my parents started dipping in their savings for the last almost nine months now, and they weren’t making money.”
1. Ish, a family friend of Yuk and Sue Wong, carries the waiting list of customers at the Lake Balboa restaurant on Sunday. 2. Yuk Wong receives an order. 3. Sunday’s waiting list included longtime patrons who stopped by for a final meal.
Crowds of dedicated diners braved the 90-degree heat to line up around the ’50s-style restaurant and took in the sights, sounds and smells of Heart’s for one last time.
Diner Marcelo Rodriguez drove down from Palmdale to pay his respects. The 38-year-old San Fernando Valley native, who is an avid fan of 1950s and ’60s style, lamented the loss of a long-tenured eatery.
“Knowing that it’s not a corporation, it’s not Denny’s, it’s not IHOP,” Rodriguez said, “it’s something much more authentic and real and organic here in the Valley — where mom-and-pop diners are all just disappearing — it’s really sad to see, so I wanted to support it.”
A patron of more than a decade, he first went to the diner on a Valentine’s Day because he was drawn to the giant red heart sign that looms over the restaurant.
“I love the aesthetics at places that are original,” he said. “That it’s family-owned and they’ve been doing this for [over] 40 years is amazing.”
A resident of Oxnard, Channtal Shrauger also made a bit of a drive to fete the closing restaurant.
Jin Chen serves customers at Heart’s, where a family member said the owners were reticent to raise prices, contributing to the decision to shutter the restaurant.
She noted that Heart’s sunsetting highlights an upsetting trend that’s taking over L.A. County.
“In Los Angeles, there’s a lot of history that’s disappearing every single day, and it’s heartbreaking,” Shrauger said. “And these are the last moments that we’ll be able to enjoy the last of what it was. … I did want to get some photos so that I could preserve that history and put the pictures up in our house.”
She also pointed out how the Wongs’ personal journey is emblematic of the larger story of immigrant struggle and success that is found in all corners of L.A.
“Immigration is really important, inclusion is important, diversity is very important,” Shrauger said. The Wongs “served this community for 40 years, and when you think of the hardest-working people, they are immigrants. That’s what was beautiful about America. We were the melting pot. When you think of all of what feeds America, whether it be the fields or the line cooks, it is immigrants.”
Manuel Ramirez of Mission Hills has been a regular at Heart’s since he began working at the Van Nuys Air National Guard Base in 1981.
Sue Wong greets longtime customer Keith Franks on Sunday.
“This used to be a place where everybody came to eat, anybody working in the area,” the 71-year-old Arleta native said. “It’s always been affordable, it’s always been friendly, family-oriented and accessible. They work their tails off every day and never complained; very gracious people. The Wongs are just beautiful people.”
After snapping several selfies with Wong-Young, Ramirez added that some of his favorite memories of the diner were of seeing Wong-Young grow up and help her parents with the restaurant. He reflected on how emotional it was to see the family leave the diner behind.
“It’s sad because I consider them family, and it’s another institution that has longevity here in the Valley,” Ramirez said. “They’ve earned their retirement. “
On the sidewalk in front of the bustling restaurant, the Wong family had set up a table selling Heart’s-branded T-shirts, with all proceeds going to the Wongs’ retirement fund.
Many customers came over to the table to pick up a shirt and share the many fond memories of the eatery with Wong-Young.
“I can’t even put into words how proud I am [of my parents]. Just to see them, even at 80-something years old, and my dad’s still back in the kitchen. He said we won’t stop until we feed the last person today, even if it’s after closing,” Wong-Young said. “They came here with not a word of English in 1969 and $100 in their pocket. I owe everything to them.”
As for retirement life, Yuk Wong is more than ready to leave the working world.
“I asked him, ‘What are you going to enjoy most about retiring, Dad?’” Wong-Young said. “And he said, ‘Waking up, not to an alarm clock, and not having to go in and cook bacon and just being able to have a cup of coffee at home and cook for myself.’”
After the last plate was served up on Sunday — eggs over easy with a side of bacon — an emotional Wong-Young embraced her mother.
“You did great, Mom. You can rest now.”
Yuk Wong enjoys a light meal he prepared himself after stepping away from the grill at Heart’s Coffee Shop.
Since 1979, Heart’s Coffee Shop in Lake Balboa has been under the careful ownership of Yuk and Sue Wong.
For nearly five decades, they served up diner classics like steak and eggs and a hearty stack of pancakes while infusing the meals with touches that showcased their Chinese heritage.
But on Sunday, every order at the San Fernando Valley mainstay was served with a side of heartbreak as the restaurant marked its final day of business.
“To make the decision was gut-wrenching because it was months and months of mulling it over with my parents and my brother,” said Susan Wong-Young, the daughter of Heart’s owners. She said they really had to consider “what’s the best thing that we can do to honor this restaurant, the community, to make sure that we give it one last hurrah.”
After facing economic hit after hit — from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to the current downturn — the Wongs decided it was time to close down their shop and kick off their retirement.
Sue Wong greets customers as Heart’s restaurant prepares to close after 47 years in Lake Balboa.
“My parents have worked so hard, never taking a vacation for 47 years,” Wong-Young said. “They immigrated here from Hong Kong in 1969 with one dream: to become business owners and to live that American dream and have a good life for their two kids. And they accomplished that tenfold.”
For more than four decades, Yuk Wong has woken up every day at 4 a.m. and cooked bacon from before the sun rises until closing time.
He and his wife gave everything they had to build a community around delicious food and homey vibes. They were committed to that sense of camaraderie with their neighbors, even to their financial detriment.
“The cost of everything has been rising, and my parents really were resistant on raising menu prices because they don’t want the community, the neighborhood, all their regulars to feel the impact and not come back,” Wong-Young said. “They were so scared of them not coming back.
“We haven’t raised prices in over a decade — 13 years — and that’s why the community loves us. But it was at the cost of us not being able to keep it afloat. So my parents started dipping in their savings for the last almost nine months now, and they weren’t making money.”
1. Ish, a family friend of Yuk and Sue Wong, carries the waiting list of customers at the Lake Balboa restaurant on Sunday. 2. Yuk Wong receives an order. 3. Sunday’s waiting list included longtime patrons who stopped by for a final meal.
Crowds of dedicated diners braved the 90-degree heat to line up around the ’50s-style restaurant and took in the sights, sounds and smells of Heart’s for one last time.
Diner Marcelo Rodriguez drove down from Palmdale to pay his respects. The 38-year-old San Fernando Valley native, who is an avid fan of 1950s and ’60s style, lamented the loss of a long-tenured eatery.
“Knowing that it’s not a corporation, it’s not Denny’s, it’s not IHOP,” Rodriguez said, “it’s something much more authentic and real and organic here in the Valley — where mom-and-pop diners are all just disappearing — it’s really sad to see, so I wanted to support it.”
A patron of more than a decade, he first went to the diner on a Valentine’s Day because he was drawn to the giant red heart sign that looms over the restaurant.
“I love the aesthetics at places that are original,” he said. “That it’s family-owned and they’ve been doing this for [over] 40 years is amazing.”
A resident of Oxnard, Channtal Shrauger also made a bit of a drive to fete the closing restaurant.
Jin Chen serves customers at Heart’s, where a family member said the owners were reticent to raise prices, contributing to the decision to shutter the restaurant.
She noted that Heart’s sunsetting highlights an upsetting trend that’s taking over L.A. County.
“In Los Angeles, there’s a lot of history that’s disappearing every single day, and it’s heartbreaking,” Shrauger said. “And these are the last moments that we’ll be able to enjoy the last of what it was. … I did want to get some photos so that I could preserve that history and put the pictures up in our house.”
She also pointed out how the Wongs’ personal journey is emblematic of the larger story of immigrant struggle and success that is found in all corners of L.A.
“Immigration is really important, inclusion is important, diversity is very important,” Shrauger said. The Wongs “served this community for 40 years, and when you think of the hardest-working people, they are immigrants. That’s what was beautiful about America. We were the melting pot. When you think of all of what feeds America, whether it be the fields or the line cooks, it is immigrants.”
Manuel Ramirez of Mission Hills has been a regular at Heart’s since he began working at the Van Nuys Air National Guard Base in 1981.
Sue Wong greets longtime customer Keith Franks on Sunday.
“This used to be a place where everybody came to eat, anybody working in the area,” the 71-year-old Arleta native said. “It’s always been affordable, it’s always been friendly, family-oriented and accessible. They work their tails off every day and never complained; very gracious people. The Wongs are just beautiful people.”
After snapping several selfies with Wong-Young, Ramirez added that some of his favorite memories of the diner were of seeing Wong-Young grow up and help her parents with the restaurant. He reflected on how emotional it was to see the family leave the diner behind.
“It’s sad because I consider them family, and it’s another institution that has longevity here in the Valley,” Ramirez said. “They’ve earned their retirement. “
On the sidewalk in front of the bustling restaurant, the Wong family had set up a table selling Heart’s-branded T-shirts, with all proceeds going to the Wongs’ retirement fund.
Many customers came over to the table to pick up a shirt and share the many fond memories of the eatery with Wong-Young.
“I can’t even put into words how proud I am [of my parents]. Just to see them, even at 80-something years old, and my dad’s still back in the kitchen. He said we won’t stop until we feed the last person today, even if it’s after closing,” Wong-Young said. “They came here with not a word of English in 1969 and $100 in their pocket. I owe everything to them.”
As for retirement life, Yuk Wong is more than ready to leave the working world.
“I asked him, ‘What are you going to enjoy most about retiring, Dad?’” Wong-Young said. “And he said, ‘Waking up, not to an alarm clock, and not having to go in and cook bacon and just being able to have a cup of coffee at home and cook for myself.’”
After the last plate was served up on Sunday — eggs over easy with a side of bacon — an emotional Wong-Young embraced her mother.
“You did great, Mom. You can rest now.”
Yuk Wong enjoys a light meal he prepared himself after stepping away from the grill at Heart’s Coffee Shop.
Since 1979, Heart’s Coffee Shop in Lake Balboa has been under the careful ownership of Yuk and Sue Wong.
For nearly five decades, they served up diner classics like steak and eggs and a hearty stack of pancakes while infusing the meals with touches that showcased their Chinese heritage.
But on Sunday, every order at the San Fernando Valley mainstay was served with a side of heartbreak as the restaurant marked its final day of business.
“To make the decision was gut-wrenching because it was months and months of mulling it over with my parents and my brother,” said Susan Wong-Young, the daughter of Heart’s owners. She said they really had to consider “what’s the best thing that we can do to honor this restaurant, the community, to make sure that we give it one last hurrah.”
After facing economic hit after hit — from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to the current downturn — the Wongs decided it was time to close down their shop and kick off their retirement.
Sue Wong greets customers as Heart’s restaurant prepares to close after 47 years in Lake Balboa.
“My parents have worked so hard, never taking a vacation for 47 years,” Wong-Young said. “They immigrated here from Hong Kong in 1969 with one dream: to become business owners and to live that American dream and have a good life for their two kids. And they accomplished that tenfold.”
For more than four decades, Yuk Wong has woken up every day at 4 a.m. and cooked bacon from before the sun rises until closing time.
He and his wife gave everything they had to build a community around delicious food and homey vibes. They were committed to that sense of camaraderie with their neighbors, even to their financial detriment.
“The cost of everything has been rising, and my parents really were resistant on raising menu prices because they don’t want the community, the neighborhood, all their regulars to feel the impact and not come back,” Wong-Young said. “They were so scared of them not coming back.
“We haven’t raised prices in over a decade — 13 years — and that’s why the community loves us. But it was at the cost of us not being able to keep it afloat. So my parents started dipping in their savings for the last almost nine months now, and they weren’t making money.”
1. Ish, a family friend of Yuk and Sue Wong, carries the waiting list of customers at the Lake Balboa restaurant on Sunday. 2. Yuk Wong receives an order. 3. Sunday’s waiting list included longtime patrons who stopped by for a final meal.
Crowds of dedicated diners braved the 90-degree heat to line up around the ’50s-style restaurant and took in the sights, sounds and smells of Heart’s for one last time.
Diner Marcelo Rodriguez drove down from Palmdale to pay his respects. The 38-year-old San Fernando Valley native, who is an avid fan of 1950s and ’60s style, lamented the loss of a long-tenured eatery.
“Knowing that it’s not a corporation, it’s not Denny’s, it’s not IHOP,” Rodriguez said, “it’s something much more authentic and real and organic here in the Valley — where mom-and-pop diners are all just disappearing — it’s really sad to see, so I wanted to support it.”
A patron of more than a decade, he first went to the diner on a Valentine’s Day because he was drawn to the giant red heart sign that looms over the restaurant.
“I love the aesthetics at places that are original,” he said. “That it’s family-owned and they’ve been doing this for [over] 40 years is amazing.”
A resident of Oxnard, Channtal Shrauger also made a bit of a drive to fete the closing restaurant.
Jin Chen serves customers at Heart’s, where a family member said the owners were reticent to raise prices, contributing to the decision to shutter the restaurant.
She noted that Heart’s sunsetting highlights an upsetting trend that’s taking over L.A. County.
“In Los Angeles, there’s a lot of history that’s disappearing every single day, and it’s heartbreaking,” Shrauger said. “And these are the last moments that we’ll be able to enjoy the last of what it was. … I did want to get some photos so that I could preserve that history and put the pictures up in our house.”
She also pointed out how the Wongs’ personal journey is emblematic of the larger story of immigrant struggle and success that is found in all corners of L.A.
“Immigration is really important, inclusion is important, diversity is very important,” Shrauger said. The Wongs “served this community for 40 years, and when you think of the hardest-working people, they are immigrants. That’s what was beautiful about America. We were the melting pot. When you think of all of what feeds America, whether it be the fields or the line cooks, it is immigrants.”
Manuel Ramirez of Mission Hills has been a regular at Heart’s since he began working at the Van Nuys Air National Guard Base in 1981.
Sue Wong greets longtime customer Keith Franks on Sunday.
“This used to be a place where everybody came to eat, anybody working in the area,” the 71-year-old Arleta native said. “It’s always been affordable, it’s always been friendly, family-oriented and accessible. They work their tails off every day and never complained; very gracious people. The Wongs are just beautiful people.”
After snapping several selfies with Wong-Young, Ramirez added that some of his favorite memories of the diner were of seeing Wong-Young grow up and help her parents with the restaurant. He reflected on how emotional it was to see the family leave the diner behind.
“It’s sad because I consider them family, and it’s another institution that has longevity here in the Valley,” Ramirez said. “They’ve earned their retirement. “
On the sidewalk in front of the bustling restaurant, the Wong family had set up a table selling Heart’s-branded T-shirts, with all proceeds going to the Wongs’ retirement fund.
Many customers came over to the table to pick up a shirt and share the many fond memories of the eatery with Wong-Young.
“I can’t even put into words how proud I am [of my parents]. Just to see them, even at 80-something years old, and my dad’s still back in the kitchen. He said we won’t stop until we feed the last person today, even if it’s after closing,” Wong-Young said. “They came here with not a word of English in 1969 and $100 in their pocket. I owe everything to them.”
As for retirement life, Yuk Wong is more than ready to leave the working world.
“I asked him, ‘What are you going to enjoy most about retiring, Dad?’” Wong-Young said. “And he said, ‘Waking up, not to an alarm clock, and not having to go in and cook bacon and just being able to have a cup of coffee at home and cook for myself.’”
After the last plate was served up on Sunday — eggs over easy with a side of bacon — an emotional Wong-Young embraced her mother.
“You did great, Mom. You can rest now.”
Yuk Wong enjoys a light meal he prepared himself after stepping away from the grill at Heart’s Coffee Shop.
Since 1979, Heart’s Coffee Shop in Lake Balboa has been under the careful ownership of Yuk and Sue Wong.
For nearly five decades, they served up diner classics like steak and eggs and a hearty stack of pancakes while infusing the meals with touches that showcased their Chinese heritage.
But on Sunday, every order at the San Fernando Valley mainstay was served with a side of heartbreak as the restaurant marked its final day of business.
“To make the decision was gut-wrenching because it was months and months of mulling it over with my parents and my brother,” said Susan Wong-Young, the daughter of Heart’s owners. She said they really had to consider “what’s the best thing that we can do to honor this restaurant, the community, to make sure that we give it one last hurrah.”
After facing economic hit after hit — from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to the current downturn — the Wongs decided it was time to close down their shop and kick off their retirement.
Sue Wong greets customers as Heart’s restaurant prepares to close after 47 years in Lake Balboa.
“My parents have worked so hard, never taking a vacation for 47 years,” Wong-Young said. “They immigrated here from Hong Kong in 1969 with one dream: to become business owners and to live that American dream and have a good life for their two kids. And they accomplished that tenfold.”
For more than four decades, Yuk Wong has woken up every day at 4 a.m. and cooked bacon from before the sun rises until closing time.
He and his wife gave everything they had to build a community around delicious food and homey vibes. They were committed to that sense of camaraderie with their neighbors, even to their financial detriment.
“The cost of everything has been rising, and my parents really were resistant on raising menu prices because they don’t want the community, the neighborhood, all their regulars to feel the impact and not come back,” Wong-Young said. “They were so scared of them not coming back.
“We haven’t raised prices in over a decade — 13 years — and that’s why the community loves us. But it was at the cost of us not being able to keep it afloat. So my parents started dipping in their savings for the last almost nine months now, and they weren’t making money.”
1. Ish, a family friend of Yuk and Sue Wong, carries the waiting list of customers at the Lake Balboa restaurant on Sunday. 2. Yuk Wong receives an order. 3. Sunday’s waiting list included longtime patrons who stopped by for a final meal.
Crowds of dedicated diners braved the 90-degree heat to line up around the ’50s-style restaurant and took in the sights, sounds and smells of Heart’s for one last time.
Diner Marcelo Rodriguez drove down from Palmdale to pay his respects. The 38-year-old San Fernando Valley native, who is an avid fan of 1950s and ’60s style, lamented the loss of a long-tenured eatery.
“Knowing that it’s not a corporation, it’s not Denny’s, it’s not IHOP,” Rodriguez said, “it’s something much more authentic and real and organic here in the Valley — where mom-and-pop diners are all just disappearing — it’s really sad to see, so I wanted to support it.”
A patron of more than a decade, he first went to the diner on a Valentine’s Day because he was drawn to the giant red heart sign that looms over the restaurant.
“I love the aesthetics at places that are original,” he said. “That it’s family-owned and they’ve been doing this for [over] 40 years is amazing.”
A resident of Oxnard, Channtal Shrauger also made a bit of a drive to fete the closing restaurant.
Jin Chen serves customers at Heart’s, where a family member said the owners were reticent to raise prices, contributing to the decision to shutter the restaurant.
She noted that Heart’s sunsetting highlights an upsetting trend that’s taking over L.A. County.
“In Los Angeles, there’s a lot of history that’s disappearing every single day, and it’s heartbreaking,” Shrauger said. “And these are the last moments that we’ll be able to enjoy the last of what it was. … I did want to get some photos so that I could preserve that history and put the pictures up in our house.”
She also pointed out how the Wongs’ personal journey is emblematic of the larger story of immigrant struggle and success that is found in all corners of L.A.
“Immigration is really important, inclusion is important, diversity is very important,” Shrauger said. The Wongs “served this community for 40 years, and when you think of the hardest-working people, they are immigrants. That’s what was beautiful about America. We were the melting pot. When you think of all of what feeds America, whether it be the fields or the line cooks, it is immigrants.”
Manuel Ramirez of Mission Hills has been a regular at Heart’s since he began working at the Van Nuys Air National Guard Base in 1981.
Sue Wong greets longtime customer Keith Franks on Sunday.
“This used to be a place where everybody came to eat, anybody working in the area,” the 71-year-old Arleta native said. “It’s always been affordable, it’s always been friendly, family-oriented and accessible. They work their tails off every day and never complained; very gracious people. The Wongs are just beautiful people.”
After snapping several selfies with Wong-Young, Ramirez added that some of his favorite memories of the diner were of seeing Wong-Young grow up and help her parents with the restaurant. He reflected on how emotional it was to see the family leave the diner behind.
“It’s sad because I consider them family, and it’s another institution that has longevity here in the Valley,” Ramirez said. “They’ve earned their retirement. “
On the sidewalk in front of the bustling restaurant, the Wong family had set up a table selling Heart’s-branded T-shirts, with all proceeds going to the Wongs’ retirement fund.
Many customers came over to the table to pick up a shirt and share the many fond memories of the eatery with Wong-Young.
“I can’t even put into words how proud I am [of my parents]. Just to see them, even at 80-something years old, and my dad’s still back in the kitchen. He said we won’t stop until we feed the last person today, even if it’s after closing,” Wong-Young said. “They came here with not a word of English in 1969 and $100 in their pocket. I owe everything to them.”
As for retirement life, Yuk Wong is more than ready to leave the working world.
“I asked him, ‘What are you going to enjoy most about retiring, Dad?’” Wong-Young said. “And he said, ‘Waking up, not to an alarm clock, and not having to go in and cook bacon and just being able to have a cup of coffee at home and cook for myself.’”
After the last plate was served up on Sunday — eggs over easy with a side of bacon — an emotional Wong-Young embraced her mother.
“You did great, Mom. You can rest now.”
Yuk Wong enjoys a light meal he prepared himself after stepping away from the grill at Heart’s Coffee Shop.
Since 1979, Heart’s Coffee Shop in Lake Balboa has been under the careful ownership of Yuk and Sue Wong.
For nearly five decades, they served up diner classics like steak and eggs and a hearty stack of pancakes while infusing the meals with touches that showcased their Chinese heritage.
But on Sunday, every order at the San Fernando Valley mainstay was served with a side of heartbreak as the restaurant marked its final day of business.
“To make the decision was gut-wrenching because it was months and months of mulling it over with my parents and my brother,” said Susan Wong-Young, the daughter of Heart’s owners. She said they really had to consider “what’s the best thing that we can do to honor this restaurant, the community, to make sure that we give it one last hurrah.”
After facing economic hit after hit — from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to the current downturn — the Wongs decided it was time to close down their shop and kick off their retirement.
Sue Wong greets customers as Heart’s restaurant prepares to close after 47 years in Lake Balboa.
“My parents have worked so hard, never taking a vacation for 47 years,” Wong-Young said. “They immigrated here from Hong Kong in 1969 with one dream: to become business owners and to live that American dream and have a good life for their two kids. And they accomplished that tenfold.”
For more than four decades, Yuk Wong has woken up every day at 4 a.m. and cooked bacon from before the sun rises until closing time.
He and his wife gave everything they had to build a community around delicious food and homey vibes. They were committed to that sense of camaraderie with their neighbors, even to their financial detriment.
“The cost of everything has been rising, and my parents really were resistant on raising menu prices because they don’t want the community, the neighborhood, all their regulars to feel the impact and not come back,” Wong-Young said. “They were so scared of them not coming back.
“We haven’t raised prices in over a decade — 13 years — and that’s why the community loves us. But it was at the cost of us not being able to keep it afloat. So my parents started dipping in their savings for the last almost nine months now, and they weren’t making money.”
1. Ish, a family friend of Yuk and Sue Wong, carries the waiting list of customers at the Lake Balboa restaurant on Sunday. 2. Yuk Wong receives an order. 3. Sunday’s waiting list included longtime patrons who stopped by for a final meal.
Crowds of dedicated diners braved the 90-degree heat to line up around the ’50s-style restaurant and took in the sights, sounds and smells of Heart’s for one last time.
Diner Marcelo Rodriguez drove down from Palmdale to pay his respects. The 38-year-old San Fernando Valley native, who is an avid fan of 1950s and ’60s style, lamented the loss of a long-tenured eatery.
“Knowing that it’s not a corporation, it’s not Denny’s, it’s not IHOP,” Rodriguez said, “it’s something much more authentic and real and organic here in the Valley — where mom-and-pop diners are all just disappearing — it’s really sad to see, so I wanted to support it.”
A patron of more than a decade, he first went to the diner on a Valentine’s Day because he was drawn to the giant red heart sign that looms over the restaurant.
“I love the aesthetics at places that are original,” he said. “That it’s family-owned and they’ve been doing this for [over] 40 years is amazing.”
A resident of Oxnard, Channtal Shrauger also made a bit of a drive to fete the closing restaurant.
Jin Chen serves customers at Heart’s, where a family member said the owners were reticent to raise prices, contributing to the decision to shutter the restaurant.
She noted that Heart’s sunsetting highlights an upsetting trend that’s taking over L.A. County.
“In Los Angeles, there’s a lot of history that’s disappearing every single day, and it’s heartbreaking,” Shrauger said. “And these are the last moments that we’ll be able to enjoy the last of what it was. … I did want to get some photos so that I could preserve that history and put the pictures up in our house.”
She also pointed out how the Wongs’ personal journey is emblematic of the larger story of immigrant struggle and success that is found in all corners of L.A.
“Immigration is really important, inclusion is important, diversity is very important,” Shrauger said. The Wongs “served this community for 40 years, and when you think of the hardest-working people, they are immigrants. That’s what was beautiful about America. We were the melting pot. When you think of all of what feeds America, whether it be the fields or the line cooks, it is immigrants.”
Manuel Ramirez of Mission Hills has been a regular at Heart’s since he began working at the Van Nuys Air National Guard Base in 1981.
Sue Wong greets longtime customer Keith Franks on Sunday.
“This used to be a place where everybody came to eat, anybody working in the area,” the 71-year-old Arleta native said. “It’s always been affordable, it’s always been friendly, family-oriented and accessible. They work their tails off every day and never complained; very gracious people. The Wongs are just beautiful people.”
After snapping several selfies with Wong-Young, Ramirez added that some of his favorite memories of the diner were of seeing Wong-Young grow up and help her parents with the restaurant. He reflected on how emotional it was to see the family leave the diner behind.
“It’s sad because I consider them family, and it’s another institution that has longevity here in the Valley,” Ramirez said. “They’ve earned their retirement. “
On the sidewalk in front of the bustling restaurant, the Wong family had set up a table selling Heart’s-branded T-shirts, with all proceeds going to the Wongs’ retirement fund.
Many customers came over to the table to pick up a shirt and share the many fond memories of the eatery with Wong-Young.
“I can’t even put into words how proud I am [of my parents]. Just to see them, even at 80-something years old, and my dad’s still back in the kitchen. He said we won’t stop until we feed the last person today, even if it’s after closing,” Wong-Young said. “They came here with not a word of English in 1969 and $100 in their pocket. I owe everything to them.”
As for retirement life, Yuk Wong is more than ready to leave the working world.
“I asked him, ‘What are you going to enjoy most about retiring, Dad?’” Wong-Young said. “And he said, ‘Waking up, not to an alarm clock, and not having to go in and cook bacon and just being able to have a cup of coffee at home and cook for myself.’”
After the last plate was served up on Sunday — eggs over easy with a side of bacon — an emotional Wong-Young embraced her mother.
“You did great, Mom. You can rest now.”
Yuk Wong enjoys a light meal he prepared himself after stepping away from the grill at Heart’s Coffee Shop.
Since 1979, Heart’s Coffee Shop in Lake Balboa has been under the careful ownership of Yuk and Sue Wong.
For nearly five decades, they served up diner classics like steak and eggs and a hearty stack of pancakes while infusing the meals with touches that showcased their Chinese heritage.
But on Sunday, every order at the San Fernando Valley mainstay was served with a side of heartbreak as the restaurant marked its final day of business.
“To make the decision was gut-wrenching because it was months and months of mulling it over with my parents and my brother,” said Susan Wong-Young, the daughter of Heart’s owners. She said they really had to consider “what’s the best thing that we can do to honor this restaurant, the community, to make sure that we give it one last hurrah.”
After facing economic hit after hit — from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to the current downturn — the Wongs decided it was time to close down their shop and kick off their retirement.
Sue Wong greets customers as Heart’s restaurant prepares to close after 47 years in Lake Balboa.
“My parents have worked so hard, never taking a vacation for 47 years,” Wong-Young said. “They immigrated here from Hong Kong in 1969 with one dream: to become business owners and to live that American dream and have a good life for their two kids. And they accomplished that tenfold.”
For more than four decades, Yuk Wong has woken up every day at 4 a.m. and cooked bacon from before the sun rises until closing time.
He and his wife gave everything they had to build a community around delicious food and homey vibes. They were committed to that sense of camaraderie with their neighbors, even to their financial detriment.
“The cost of everything has been rising, and my parents really were resistant on raising menu prices because they don’t want the community, the neighborhood, all their regulars to feel the impact and not come back,” Wong-Young said. “They were so scared of them not coming back.
“We haven’t raised prices in over a decade — 13 years — and that’s why the community loves us. But it was at the cost of us not being able to keep it afloat. So my parents started dipping in their savings for the last almost nine months now, and they weren’t making money.”
1. Ish, a family friend of Yuk and Sue Wong, carries the waiting list of customers at the Lake Balboa restaurant on Sunday. 2. Yuk Wong receives an order. 3. Sunday’s waiting list included longtime patrons who stopped by for a final meal.
Crowds of dedicated diners braved the 90-degree heat to line up around the ’50s-style restaurant and took in the sights, sounds and smells of Heart’s for one last time.
Diner Marcelo Rodriguez drove down from Palmdale to pay his respects. The 38-year-old San Fernando Valley native, who is an avid fan of 1950s and ’60s style, lamented the loss of a long-tenured eatery.
“Knowing that it’s not a corporation, it’s not Denny’s, it’s not IHOP,” Rodriguez said, “it’s something much more authentic and real and organic here in the Valley — where mom-and-pop diners are all just disappearing — it’s really sad to see, so I wanted to support it.”
A patron of more than a decade, he first went to the diner on a Valentine’s Day because he was drawn to the giant red heart sign that looms over the restaurant.
“I love the aesthetics at places that are original,” he said. “That it’s family-owned and they’ve been doing this for [over] 40 years is amazing.”
A resident of Oxnard, Channtal Shrauger also made a bit of a drive to fete the closing restaurant.
Jin Chen serves customers at Heart’s, where a family member said the owners were reticent to raise prices, contributing to the decision to shutter the restaurant.
She noted that Heart’s sunsetting highlights an upsetting trend that’s taking over L.A. County.
“In Los Angeles, there’s a lot of history that’s disappearing every single day, and it’s heartbreaking,” Shrauger said. “And these are the last moments that we’ll be able to enjoy the last of what it was. … I did want to get some photos so that I could preserve that history and put the pictures up in our house.”
She also pointed out how the Wongs’ personal journey is emblematic of the larger story of immigrant struggle and success that is found in all corners of L.A.
“Immigration is really important, inclusion is important, diversity is very important,” Shrauger said. The Wongs “served this community for 40 years, and when you think of the hardest-working people, they are immigrants. That’s what was beautiful about America. We were the melting pot. When you think of all of what feeds America, whether it be the fields or the line cooks, it is immigrants.”
Manuel Ramirez of Mission Hills has been a regular at Heart’s since he began working at the Van Nuys Air National Guard Base in 1981.
Sue Wong greets longtime customer Keith Franks on Sunday.
“This used to be a place where everybody came to eat, anybody working in the area,” the 71-year-old Arleta native said. “It’s always been affordable, it’s always been friendly, family-oriented and accessible. They work their tails off every day and never complained; very gracious people. The Wongs are just beautiful people.”
After snapping several selfies with Wong-Young, Ramirez added that some of his favorite memories of the diner were of seeing Wong-Young grow up and help her parents with the restaurant. He reflected on how emotional it was to see the family leave the diner behind.
“It’s sad because I consider them family, and it’s another institution that has longevity here in the Valley,” Ramirez said. “They’ve earned their retirement. “
On the sidewalk in front of the bustling restaurant, the Wong family had set up a table selling Heart’s-branded T-shirts, with all proceeds going to the Wongs’ retirement fund.
Many customers came over to the table to pick up a shirt and share the many fond memories of the eatery with Wong-Young.
“I can’t even put into words how proud I am [of my parents]. Just to see them, even at 80-something years old, and my dad’s still back in the kitchen. He said we won’t stop until we feed the last person today, even if it’s after closing,” Wong-Young said. “They came here with not a word of English in 1969 and $100 in their pocket. I owe everything to them.”
As for retirement life, Yuk Wong is more than ready to leave the working world.
“I asked him, ‘What are you going to enjoy most about retiring, Dad?’” Wong-Young said. “And he said, ‘Waking up, not to an alarm clock, and not having to go in and cook bacon and just being able to have a cup of coffee at home and cook for myself.’”
After the last plate was served up on Sunday — eggs over easy with a side of bacon — an emotional Wong-Young embraced her mother.
“You did great, Mom. You can rest now.”
Yuk Wong enjoys a light meal he prepared himself after stepping away from the grill at Heart’s Coffee Shop.
Since 1979, Heart’s Coffee Shop in Lake Balboa has been under the careful ownership of Yuk and Sue Wong.
For nearly five decades, they served up diner classics like steak and eggs and a hearty stack of pancakes while infusing the meals with touches that showcased their Chinese heritage.
But on Sunday, every order at the San Fernando Valley mainstay was served with a side of heartbreak as the restaurant marked its final day of business.
“To make the decision was gut-wrenching because it was months and months of mulling it over with my parents and my brother,” said Susan Wong-Young, the daughter of Heart’s owners. She said they really had to consider “what’s the best thing that we can do to honor this restaurant, the community, to make sure that we give it one last hurrah.”
After facing economic hit after hit — from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to the current downturn — the Wongs decided it was time to close down their shop and kick off their retirement.
Sue Wong greets customers as Heart’s restaurant prepares to close after 47 years in Lake Balboa.
“My parents have worked so hard, never taking a vacation for 47 years,” Wong-Young said. “They immigrated here from Hong Kong in 1969 with one dream: to become business owners and to live that American dream and have a good life for their two kids. And they accomplished that tenfold.”
For more than four decades, Yuk Wong has woken up every day at 4 a.m. and cooked bacon from before the sun rises until closing time.
He and his wife gave everything they had to build a community around delicious food and homey vibes. They were committed to that sense of camaraderie with their neighbors, even to their financial detriment.
“The cost of everything has been rising, and my parents really were resistant on raising menu prices because they don’t want the community, the neighborhood, all their regulars to feel the impact and not come back,” Wong-Young said. “They were so scared of them not coming back.
“We haven’t raised prices in over a decade — 13 years — and that’s why the community loves us. But it was at the cost of us not being able to keep it afloat. So my parents started dipping in their savings for the last almost nine months now, and they weren’t making money.”
1. Ish, a family friend of Yuk and Sue Wong, carries the waiting list of customers at the Lake Balboa restaurant on Sunday. 2. Yuk Wong receives an order. 3. Sunday’s waiting list included longtime patrons who stopped by for a final meal.
Crowds of dedicated diners braved the 90-degree heat to line up around the ’50s-style restaurant and took in the sights, sounds and smells of Heart’s for one last time.
Diner Marcelo Rodriguez drove down from Palmdale to pay his respects. The 38-year-old San Fernando Valley native, who is an avid fan of 1950s and ’60s style, lamented the loss of a long-tenured eatery.
“Knowing that it’s not a corporation, it’s not Denny’s, it’s not IHOP,” Rodriguez said, “it’s something much more authentic and real and organic here in the Valley — where mom-and-pop diners are all just disappearing — it’s really sad to see, so I wanted to support it.”
A patron of more than a decade, he first went to the diner on a Valentine’s Day because he was drawn to the giant red heart sign that looms over the restaurant.
“I love the aesthetics at places that are original,” he said. “That it’s family-owned and they’ve been doing this for [over] 40 years is amazing.”
A resident of Oxnard, Channtal Shrauger also made a bit of a drive to fete the closing restaurant.
Jin Chen serves customers at Heart’s, where a family member said the owners were reticent to raise prices, contributing to the decision to shutter the restaurant.
She noted that Heart’s sunsetting highlights an upsetting trend that’s taking over L.A. County.
“In Los Angeles, there’s a lot of history that’s disappearing every single day, and it’s heartbreaking,” Shrauger said. “And these are the last moments that we’ll be able to enjoy the last of what it was. … I did want to get some photos so that I could preserve that history and put the pictures up in our house.”
She also pointed out how the Wongs’ personal journey is emblematic of the larger story of immigrant struggle and success that is found in all corners of L.A.
“Immigration is really important, inclusion is important, diversity is very important,” Shrauger said. The Wongs “served this community for 40 years, and when you think of the hardest-working people, they are immigrants. That’s what was beautiful about America. We were the melting pot. When you think of all of what feeds America, whether it be the fields or the line cooks, it is immigrants.”
Manuel Ramirez of Mission Hills has been a regular at Heart’s since he began working at the Van Nuys Air National Guard Base in 1981.
Sue Wong greets longtime customer Keith Franks on Sunday.
“This used to be a place where everybody came to eat, anybody working in the area,” the 71-year-old Arleta native said. “It’s always been affordable, it’s always been friendly, family-oriented and accessible. They work their tails off every day and never complained; very gracious people. The Wongs are just beautiful people.”
After snapping several selfies with Wong-Young, Ramirez added that some of his favorite memories of the diner were of seeing Wong-Young grow up and help her parents with the restaurant. He reflected on how emotional it was to see the family leave the diner behind.
“It’s sad because I consider them family, and it’s another institution that has longevity here in the Valley,” Ramirez said. “They’ve earned their retirement. “
On the sidewalk in front of the bustling restaurant, the Wong family had set up a table selling Heart’s-branded T-shirts, with all proceeds going to the Wongs’ retirement fund.
Many customers came over to the table to pick up a shirt and share the many fond memories of the eatery with Wong-Young.
“I can’t even put into words how proud I am [of my parents]. Just to see them, even at 80-something years old, and my dad’s still back in the kitchen. He said we won’t stop until we feed the last person today, even if it’s after closing,” Wong-Young said. “They came here with not a word of English in 1969 and $100 in their pocket. I owe everything to them.”
As for retirement life, Yuk Wong is more than ready to leave the working world.
“I asked him, ‘What are you going to enjoy most about retiring, Dad?’” Wong-Young said. “And he said, ‘Waking up, not to an alarm clock, and not having to go in and cook bacon and just being able to have a cup of coffee at home and cook for myself.’”
After the last plate was served up on Sunday — eggs over easy with a side of bacon — an emotional Wong-Young embraced her mother.
“You did great, Mom. You can rest now.”
Yuk Wong enjoys a light meal he prepared himself after stepping away from the grill at Heart’s Coffee Shop.
