Postcard of Exterior, The Chinese Tuxedo Restaurant, 2 Doyers Street, 1905

The Chinese Tuxedo restaurant, located at 2 Doyers Street in New York’s Chinatown, opened in 1897. The restaurant was decorated with elaborate chandeliers and tables with decorative patterns to appeal to visitors looking for an “exotic” experience. It opened at a time when several other upscale Chinese restaurants began opening in an attempt to take advantage of the influx of non-Chinese tourists in Chinatown. The restaurant was best known for its ornate eagle-crowned balcony, which served as advertising that could be seen from the now defunct Third Avenue El train. The original restaurant closed in the mid-1900s.