The famed Kowloon restaurant, a Route 1 landmark in Saugus for over seven decades, is set for a transformative redevelopment into two apartment buildings, offering nearly 200 units and retail space. According to WHDH, the family-operated establishment, currently sprawling across 60,000 square feet, is making way for modernization due to a mix of age and business challenges within the ownership.
Bob Wong, Kowloon's co-owner, articulated plans to keep the restaurant operational amid construction—and, importantly, to preserve jobs. "We have a great group of employees and they were nervous when they heard. It wasn’t just the customers that were nervous," Wong told WHDH. "We didn’t want to shut down and they have to go with other jobs, a lot of them, the only job they know and care. They may be here 30, 40, 50 years." Detailed plans for the redevelopment were brought to the Saugus Planning Board just last week, showcasing the future of the property.
New renditions hint at a smaller restaurant footprint within the mixed-use buildings, which will span six stories each. Michael McKeown, representing Dennis Mires The Architects, outlined that the project seeks not only to modernize but to tip its hat to the legacy of Kowloon. "There's splashes of color and accent and open materials to signify where the retail spaces are," McKeown said in a statement obtained by CBS Boston. "And a little bit of homage to some signage to let people know this is still the Kowloon site."
Timing for construction is still up in the air, as the planning process remains underway with many months of review ahead. McKeown emphasized the complexity and duration of such a project, expressing on CBS Boston, "The buildings are, based on their size, roughly 14 months of construction, they're not small." This marks a significant change for the staple restaurant, which previously denied rumors of closure back in 2021 yet candidly discussed future plans with its customer base online. The same establishment that innovated with a car hop and movie drive-in during the COVID-19 pandemic, when indoor dining faced restrictions, is now pivoting toward an evolution that will reshape its presence in Saugus.
Notably, this redevelopment aims to maintain continuity for the nearly 200 employees and the community that's grown around Kowloon's unique dining experience. Wong outlined a phased approach where Kowloon will first relocate into the newly constructed building, then, after the old restaurant is demolished, it will move into a permanent space within the second building. These tangible steps signify a future where the legacy of Kowloon adapts to a shifting landscape, all while preserving the touchstones of its past.
