Quickie Link: EileenEats Laozihao List

Beijing Eats author Eileen Wen Mooney has a useful post about laozihao ("time honored brands") restaurants around town:

"Laozihao (老字号):

The term laozihao refers to classic brands that have existed for many decades, in some cases for centuries, and which were run by families who handed the businesses down from generation to generation. These time honored brands were turned into a mixture of private and state enterprises in 1956 after the Communists came into power. Quality fell and these establishments lost their reputations that had been built up over time. With China’s reform and opening up, some of the descendents of the original families, have sought to reclaim control of their family establishments and to regain their former glory, but it’s been an uphill battle."