Eric Huang had cooked at Cafe Boulud, Gramercy Tavern and Eleven Madison Park for a decade when he got serious about launching his own fine-dining spot in January 2020.
But when the city and state closed restaurant dining rooms in March 2020 to try to stop Covid-19 from spreading, he put his plans on hold; his family’s two restaurants needed help. He became a dim sum chef and then an entrepreneur to help keep them afloat.
Huang is one of a wave of second-generation offspring who returned to a family business to help through a tough year and a half. The younger generation brought new digital and marketing ideas, and in some cases they found their input newly welcome.