Honey Bee owner Michael Lau looking to enjoy community events in retirement

‘Honey’ from Page 1 and I’m sad too as they have been very good customers to us. The community has really supported us. I will miss the customers. A lot of them are saying ‘what will we do when you close.’”

Being in business for such a long time he said he has seen customers come in as young people, and then with their own children and later grandchildren.

“Sometimes we are serving three generations of customers. I know I will miss them,” said Lau.

He said food tastes when it comes to Chinese food have changed a bit since Honey Bee started in the Beach in 1980.

“We used to sell a lot of chop suey when we started. But now we also have Szechaun and Cantonese styles which are very popular,” said Lau.

“When we first opened what we also sold a lot of was coffee. I remember we would have big pots and sold so much coffee every day. Now I don’t think most days we even sell one cup of coffee.”

Not surprisingly, he attributes that to the many specialty coffee shops that are now located in the Beach, and people’s changing tastes for and attitudes towards coffee and how they buy it.

“People would come in and sit and just have a cup of coffee here, or buy one to go. but not anymore,” said Lau.

When Honey Bee first opened it did not have a liquor licence but when it got it they would also have customers who came in for beer and wine as well, he said.

Lau said he has no specific retirement plans beyond enjoying life in the Beach as a resident as opposed to a restaurant owner.

He said he’s looking forward to the chance to finally enjoy the many community events that take place along Queen Street East including the Beaches International Jazz Festival and the Toronto Beaches Lions Easter Parade.

“I told the kids for the last 43 years we’ve been serving the customers while they were enjoying the patio outside, and now we can be enjoying the patios. We can also enjoy the Jazz Festival and the parade instead of being too busy because we were working.”

Lau said he strongly wanted to express his thanks to Honey Bee’s many loyal customers over the decades and the support of the community.

“My thanks to all of our customers who came to us for so many years,” he said.