By Stephen Smoot
For two decades anyone who walked into Shinnston Peking, a Pike Street mainstay, experienced two sensual stimulations.
First came the aromas of delicious Chinese cuisine made fresh to order.
Then came a delight to the senses of hearing and sight, the owner known to all as “Grandmother” greeted each customer with a smile and a salutation.
“She was always a smiling face when you walked in,” shared Patrick Kovalck, Mayor of Shinnston. Kovalck described her as a central part of the Shinnston community – or family if one prefers. “We watched her grandchildren growing up here playing soccer and baseball with mine. We mourn her loss with them.”
Over 20 years, she shepherded her establishment through economic ups and downs, including the COVID pandemic that claimed many restaurants across the nation.
Its reputation was such that Kovalck shared that his brother and his work colleagues at the FBI would drive farther and pass a number of closer restaurants to patronize Shinnston Peking. Why? Because that is the level of quality of the reputation of the food and the establishment, carefully constructed over the years.
She also served as an integral part of a special business community in Shinnston. Pike Street business owners do not compete so much as cooperate. They take pride in any community development that makes downtown shine and prosper.
For the time being, the restaurant will close as the family honors her memory. The community has also gathered to grieve “Grandmother” by leaving the family messages of remembrance on the windows and door of the establishment.
