ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – You can’t miss it, a giant lumberjack, watching over the International District. It stands high above the May Cafe, a Vietnamese restaurant at the corner of Central and Louisiana, that’s been serving the community for 31 years.
Liem Nguyen and his family moved to Albuquerque and took over the restaurant from his family back in October of 1992, and the rest is history. “It’s fun working with the customers, and employees, and the neighborhood, people of Albuquerque,” Nguyen said.
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But after decades of running the restaurant with his wife, May Cafe is set to close its doors for good sometime before Christmas. “Husband and wife working all the time, just a little tough, little tough, so I’m getting older, we’re getting older, so we just decided to relax and take care of our health,” Nguyen said.
He admits crime was also part of the decision saying over the last few years it’s gotten worse. “When you’re younger you can deal with it, but when you get older, there’s no good thing about it,” Nguyen said.
While he’s looking forward to quiet time, it’s nothing short of a bittersweet goodbye. “Times changed so we have to move on and do our own stuff and enjoy.”
Nguyen says a family member is considering taking over the property in the future, maybe opening up another restaurant.
