Happy Wok founder to return to Rockford market, open new restaurant in former Burger King

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A Burger King that has been vacant for more than three years on 11th Street is slated to be renovated for a new Happy Wok.

George Poon, who said he founded the first Happy Wok as a student at the University of Colorado roughly 50 years ago, has put forward plans to bring the fast-casual Chinese restaurant to 2434 11th St., which is across the street from a Collins Aerospace site.

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Poon now owns Happy Wok in Madison, Wisconsin, and has previously owned Happy Wok restaurants in Rockford and other parts of the region before he sold them off. He said he decided to return to the Rockford market after hearing customers complain that the quality of the restaurants he once owned had slipped.

“I have no choice. Happy Wok used to have a very good name in this area,” Poon said in a brief interview at City Hall on Tuesday.

He’s planning to buy the Burger King property and renovate the 3,200-square-foot space for the new restaurant with drive-thru service.

“After that, I won’t open any more Happy Woks,” he said.

Poon’s plans require the approval of a special-use permit from Rockford City Council. On Tuesday, the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals gave unanimous approval to the plans for the site.

If approval is given, Poon plans to close on the purchase of the former Burger King property in July and open as soon as possible after that.

Burger King operated at the site from 1973 until closing around December 2020. It has been vacant since.

Poon, a native of Hong Kong, said he was a chemical engineering student at the University of Colorado when he founded his first Happy Wok. He eventually opened restaurants all across the country, including Rockford.

“I never used the chemical engineer degree at all,” he said. “I don’t like to work in an office. I like people. I like the public. I like to talk.”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas