MASSILLON – Realizing a lifelong dream and not wanting a “good thing to go” prompted a quartet to embark on the restaurant business.
Jamie and Patty Fryberger, from Navarre, and Chris and Crissey Kobak, from Wooster, have started rolling up their sleeves, bought a local restaurant and got to work in recent weeks. The four are the new owners of Tan’s Egg Roll King, 620 Lincoln Way E.
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“We’re definitely kitchen people so we’re not going into that cold,†Crissey Kobak said on Friday morning, while preparing for the early hours of the grocery store reopening.
Tan’s reopened on Friday under a new owner in Massillon. Former owners Kris and Melissa Tan concluded their 18-year run on Thursday.
The combined experience of catering to the new group of owners spans roughly five decades, according to Kobak, who said she and Patty Fryberger could likely be the primary daily kitchen preparers.
The purchase of Tan’s restaurant, which will keep its name, has made Patty’s lifelong dream come true, according to her husband.
“It was always his dream to buy and operate a restaurant,†said Jamie Fryberger.
Tan’s menu to stay
The menu at Tan’s Egg Roll King restaurant must remain intact, Fryberger said, adding that all dishes are freshly prepared. However, some prices may tend to vary.
“The (the food is) made from scratch and in-house,†Fryberger said. “We respect Tan’s recipes and heritage.”
“We have been customers ourselves and didn’t want to let this place go,†he added.
The drive-through and take-out restaurant continues to offer a condensed menu of Chinese-style dishes and spring rolls, as well as other Asian fare from scratch.
Some customer favorites include General Tso’s Chicken Dinner, the famous 9 inch egg rolls, cream cheese egg rolls, and a wide range of soups.
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The original Tan’s restaurant – owned by Benny Tan and Maureen Spada Tan – in Plain Township closed in May 2018. It operated for 24 years.
The Lincoln Way location was first opened by Kris Tan – the youngest son of Benny and Maureen and his wife, Melissa – in 2003. Kris has been training the new owners for about a month.
As for Tans’ immediate future, Kris said he and Melissa will focus on their Premier Studio Salon businesses in Jackson Township. The couple’s two salons include several studios specializing in hair and nail service.
“It’s really bittersweet for us,†Kris Tan said as he walked away from the restaurant. “We can even take time to travel.”
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Tan’s Egg Roll King Hours
Tan’s Egg Roll King, 620 Lincoln Way E, Massillon, operates hours from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Drive-thru and take-out only is closed on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
