Fundraising underway to help Asian owned-businesses affected by fire

The owner of Qin Xi’an Noodles gets a check from the WISH foundation. (Photo provided by Edmonds Chamber of Commerce)

The Edmonds Chamber Foundation is raising money for businesses that were damaged in a fire.

The Plum Tree Plaza—a cultural hub for Asian Americans along Highway 99 in Edmonds—burned on Sept. 11.

On Sept. 16, the foundation, via its WISH fund, presented a $1,000 check to restaurant owner Bufeng Gao. Her restaurant, Qin Xi’an Noodles, was one of the most badly damaged in the fire.

Gao immigrated to Washington in 2016 from China—she considered the restaurant her key to a new beginning in America.

“The Edmonds Chamber Foundation is saddened to see so many great local businesses hurt by this tragic fire,” said Lillyan Hendershot, president of the Edmonds Chamber Foundation board.

“We hope this $1,000 grant will assist Qin Xi’an Noodles in starting to rebuild and recover from this tragedy.”

“The Edmonds Chamber Foundation has the capacity to provide three WISH Fund grants immediately, but our hope is to provide grants to all 14 businesses,” said Greg Urban, president & CEO of the Edmonds Chamber. WISH stands for “When Inconvenient Stuff Happens.” It’s a community relief program to help small businesses recover after a disaster.

Someone set the plaza on fire on the morning of Sept. 11. Witnesses reported smoke and flames around 5:35 a.m. at the L-shaped strip mall. Crews battled for about 40 minutes before getting the fire under control. Nobody was injured.

The Plum Tree Plaza after the fire (Photo by Han Bui)

Many of the businesses in the strip mall were owned by Asian Americans. It was home to five restaurants, including Qin Xi’an Noodles, a tutoring center, a dentist’s office, a beauty school, a salon, and an antique store, and one of the area’s only Indonesian grocery stores, Waroeng Jajanan. They shared an attic space, and each one sustained either flame, smoke, or water damage.

Investigators determined the fire to be arson and police are seeking tips to identify the arsonist. Anybody with information is asked to call Edmonds police at 425-771-0212 or email policetips@edmondswa.gov.

Donations to the WISH Fund are tax-deductible. If you are interested in donating, go to edmondschamberfoundation.org/wish-fund.

The owners of Qin and Waroeng Jajanan also have GoFundMe pages. Go to: https://bit.ly/3m6WiVd and gofundme.com/f/help-waroeng-jajanan.