After 75 years, the iconic North Shore restaurant Kowloon will shut off its bright neon lights and trade its unique, larger-than-life tiki decor for a more modern look, complete with commercial spaces and almost 200 apartments.
The restaurant located in Saugus, Massachusetts, a city of 29,050, is known for its iconic design, flaming scorpion bowls, and renowned Saugus wings, making it one of the “icons” of Route 1, attracting celebrities such as John Cena, Dwayne Johnson, and the Goo Goo Dolls, whose autographs still adorn the restaurant’s walls. Earlier this month, its owners announced plans to tear down the beloved restaurant, leaving customers who have been celebrating there for countless years reminiscing on the well-known building and how Saugus and Route 1 are changing.
“All the icons are going …The Hilltop or Weylu’s, the things that made Route 1 are all going away,” said Julia Eilleri, a repeat customer of Kowloon from Malden…