SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KCBS RADIO) – A small, family-run noodle shop in Santa Rosa is now bustling thanks to a seven second video posted to TikTok.
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In the video, owner Vuong Lee leans against the counter of Lee's Noodle House, forlorn, almost expressionless, staring at a restaurant full of empty tables. The moment was captured by his daughter Jennifer.
"At that moment I just felt really sorry for him," she told KCBS Radio.
Lee's Noodle House is a Vietnamese restaurant specializing in noodle soups and rice plates that opened in 2003 at 1010 Hopper Ave. Jennifer helps out at the restaurant during breaks from college in Long Beach. She said the combination of wildfires and the pandemic forced many regular customers out of the area, causing business to slow down.
She put the short video up on TikTok, hoping it might get some attention. "I didn't know she recorded my video, after that I was shocked." Owner Lee told KCBS Radio.
Nearly one million views later things have changed at the noodle house. "It's been so packed now just because there's no seats open, like the past couple days people would be waiting out the door," Jennifer said.
Some days have been so busy they've had to buy extra ingredients. Jennifer added she's excited to come back home in a few weeks and continue her role as social media maven, documenting the happenings at the restaurant. "My parents don't know how to do any of this stuff, so it's mostly me, so I would have to help them out," she explained.
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