Businesses in Edmonton’s Chinatown see an increase in foot traffic

With the city of Edmonton investing $480,000 for community projects in Chinatown, Mayor Andrew Knack says the increasing foot traffic in the neighbourhood will connect to the City’s investment like the LRT.

But, have business really felt that change over the past year?

William Chen, owner of restaurants Boa and Hare and Van Loc, is preparing for a lunch rush for the last two days of Chinatown Dining Week.

When Chen started Van Loc in 2023, the restaurant got an average of 40 to 60 customers per day.

“Unfortunately, some construction did happen over the past year, and then that’s a sharp decline in our traffic,” Chen said. “During construction, that was sometimes even like 20 a day, it was pretty rough.”

Boa and Hare also gets fewer customers during weekdays. 

“I think there’s just a perception of safety lacking in Chinatown; there’s just not as much foot traffic as people who have a certain stigma or a certain feeling about Chinatown that I don’t feel is warranted,” Chen said.

But Mayor Knack says, more people have been visitingChinatown in recent years touting the nearly half a million dollars for projects like the Chinatown Dining Week to bring people into the community.

Andrew Hui, organizer of Chinatown Dining Week, says the community has had a perception problem recently. Both construction and social disorder have caused a 30 percent decline in foot traffic to some businesses.

“There’s been a lot of perceptions of the community recently, especially from the homicides, people’s perception of feeling unsafe, uncomfortable in the community,” Hui said. “So Chinatown Dining Week is one of the many events in the area that helps bring traffic into the community, and a very fun and engaging way.”

“At the end of the day, they made this area their home, right? So, ask the community. We’re trying to do our best to help support them during their time here,” Hui said.

That support is helping businesses like Boa and Hare get exposure so more people are stopping by in Chinatown.

That’s Good news for Chen, as his cafe that just opened last August and is steadily reaching 60 customers a day on average.

“Dining week has been a huge boom to both of our businesses, and I’m sure to all the businesses that are participating this year as well,” Chen said. “The traffic and the energy, and just the overall number of people coming down. It’s just been incredible.”

Both Chen and Hui are hoping the council will continue to fund projects for Chinatown and attract more people in the community and improve safety perception.

— With files from Leo Cruzat