Update on Asian Pearl
Aug 14, 2024 03:20PM ● By Jen Gennaro
When we first reported on the Asian Pearl building being for sale less than a month ago, Zachary people lost their damn minds. Not because they wanted to buy the real estate, and not because they were necessarily worried that they wouldn't have another option for Chinese food in Zachary. No, it was because the future of Zachary's favorite waiter, the National Treasure that is Aesep Komar (AEKO), was at stake.
"Aeko spoke with my husband today. The owner of the building wants to sell it. The current tenants do not want to buy it. He is very grateful for the offer of the go fund me, but please do not do it. Aeko works for the family who owns Asian Pearl," Mary Jane McNemar Fabre commented under the post a few days after the story came out.
"It's unbelievable what the community gives us," AEKO told us today in a brief interview. "They support us in many ways...it's really overwhelming, it really touches my soul," he says, adding that he thinks the building is priced way too high.
Back when we interviewed him for AAPI in 2023, he said that he'd like to one day open up his own restaurant in town, an Asian-Fusion place. And that's still his goal.
"I will be in Zachary," he reassured us. "Even if I must go for a while to other states until I find a business partner to open a restaurant in Zachary," he said. "I will find someone to collaborate with me with the mission that restaurant is not only for eating, but experience."
If there's one thing it seems we can all agree on, AEKO *is* the experience. So who's ready for a collab?!
If you'd be willing to donate to help fund a future endeavor, please fill out the form below. This is NOT binding and is simply to gauge interest and level of investment available. Responses will be sent to P&P and not AEKO.
Our story on the website received a record-breaking 3,100 views, and our post on Facebook received 123 shares, 160 likes, and 356 comments all saying, more or less, the same thing:
"Noooooooooooooooooo! Not our precious AEKOðŸ˜"
A GoFundMe was quickly set up for AEKO and Jenny to buy the building, but fell short of its $600k goal once it became clear that, while touched by the generosity of Zachary, AEKO did not have the desire to buy the current building."Aeko spoke with my husband today. The owner of the building wants to sell it. The current tenants do not want to buy it. He is very grateful for the offer of the go fund me, but please do not do it. Aeko works for the family who owns Asian Pearl," Mary Jane McNemar Fabre commented under the post a few days after the story came out.
"It's unbelievable what the community gives us," AEKO told us today in a brief interview. "They support us in many ways...it's really overwhelming, it really touches my soul," he says, adding that he thinks the building is priced way too high.
Back when we interviewed him for AAPI in 2023, he said that he'd like to one day open up his own restaurant in town, an Asian-Fusion place. And that's still his goal.
"I will be in Zachary," he reassured us. "Even if I must go for a while to other states until I find a business partner to open a restaurant in Zachary," he said. "I will find someone to collaborate with me with the mission that restaurant is not only for eating, but experience."
If there's one thing it seems we can all agree on, AEKO *is* the experience. So who's ready for a collab?!
If you'd be willing to donate to help fund a future endeavor, please fill out the form below. This is NOT binding and is simply to gauge interest and level of investment available. Responses will be sent to P&P and not AEKO.
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