Welcome to our December edition of the Massachusetts Asian Restaurant Association newsletter! We're excited to bring you a selection of opportunities and events designed to inspire, educate, and connect. Inside this issue, you'll find exclusive information on upcoming events, details on grant opportunities that could support your business, and much more!

 

Happy New Year! As we step into this fresh and exciting chapter, MARA is thrilled to share that we’ll be hosting a holiday party to celebrate the season and our amazing community. Stay tuned for updates and details—we can’t wait to see you there!

 

The Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and communities everywhere are gearing up for a season of joy, culture, and connection! Whether you’re looking to celebrate with family or explore something new, these upcoming festivities offer a chance to immerse yourself in the rich traditions of the Lunar New Year, year of the snake.

On October 28, 2024, a health hearing was held in Taunton, pertaining to the forced closure of the restaurant, Hong Kong City. The two contending parties to the hearing are the local health department and Mr. Pan Fei, the owner of Hong Kong City. Both parties presented their case to support their positions. For more detail, please read the report by SingtaoUSA, link below:

 

 

MARA’s co-president Andy Kuang was also present at the hearing.

 

Mr. Pan Fei’s Hong Kong City case got MARA’s attention. As an organization with a substantial Asian restaurant community, MARA wants to find out what kind of problems, if any, can occur between restaurants and the Health/Food Safety inspectors. Is Mr. Pan’s experience an isolated instance or a much common occurrence among Asian restaurants? MARA also wants to understand better in what capacity MARA can support its members and other Asian restaurants as it relates to the Health/Food Safety inspections. For this reason, MARA has designed a field survey. 

 

We were happy to receive some feedback; thank you to those who provided valuable input. The survey is still open; we would welcome and encourage more people to take the survey to help all of us get a handle on this matter. 

 

Please take a moment and share your experience with Health/Food Safety inspections by taking this 22 question survey; click the link below to start.

MARA has partnered with Potencia to offer affordable, one-on-one English tutoring sessions tailored for adult immigrants. These 10-week online programs provide personalized learning, real-life conversation practice, and flexible schedules. At just $5 per session ($50 for 10 sessions), participants receive 1-hour individual lessons with an additional discount available for MARA members.

 

Interested individuals can apply online below or text (617) 580-0176 for more details. Don’t miss this opportunity to improve English skills in a supportive, affordable environment!

Celebrate the Year of the Snake on January 18, 2025, at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. Enjoy a free community fair (3-5 PM), a pre-paid dinner (5-6 PM), and captivating performances (6-8 PM). Early bird tickets are $20 before December 31, 2024.

Celebrate the Year of the Snake and Lexington's 250th anniversary with a spectacular cultural event blending Eastern and Western traditions! The Lexington Lunar New Year Gala, a collaboration between the Lexington Symphony and the Chinese American Association of Lexington (CAAL), promises an unforgettable evening of music, dance, and community spirit.

Enjoy breathtaking performances from the Lexington Symphony alongside captivating traditional Chinese arts, showcasing the unity and cultural diversity of our community.

 

Date: January 18, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Lexington High School, 251 Waltham Street, Lexington, MA

Celebrate the New Year with a night of music and dance! The WeStar 2025 New Year Grand Musical Night, featuring the Boston International Symphony Orchestra led by conductor Jorge Soto, promises an unforgettable evening of classical and modern music, stunning waltz performances, and world-class vocalists and musicians.

 

Date: Saturday, January 18, 2025

Reception & Social Time: 5:00–6:15 PM
 Concert Start: 6:30 PM
Location: Cary Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA

 

Scan the QR code or visit below to secure your spot for this spectacular New Year music festival!

Join the Beijing Association Organizing Committee in celebrating the Year of the Snake at the Boston Spring Festival Gala!

 

Date: January 19, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Zervas Elementary School, 30 Beethoven Ave, Waban, MA 02468

 

Enjoy exciting performances, group fitness dances, lucky draws, and delicious food! Bring your favorite specialty dish to share and compete for food awards. Dress in formal or traditional attire to celebrate in style as we bid farewell to the Year of the Dragon and welcome the new year.

 

Join Tết in Boston on Saturday, January 25th and Sunday, January 26th, 2025 as Tết in Boston celebrates the Lunar New Year with live performances and activities such as lion dance, martial arts, music, a fashion show, fun games, raffles, and more throughout our 2 Day Festival!

 

Tickets are available online for $6 or at the door for $8. FREE admissions for children under the age of 3. For more information, go to our website www.tetboston.org or email us at tetinboston@gmail.com.

The 2024 Lunar New Year Gala  was held on February 10 at the landmark Boston City Hall and was a huge success. This was the first New Year celebrated after the passage of the Lunar New Year Act. Gary Yu, who was authorized by Boston Mayor Wu to promote the bill, led the Boston Lunar New Year Gala Organizing Committee to systematically hold the Lunar New Year Gala every year.

 

This year, the gala is scheduled for January 26, 2025, and preparations are already underway. The planning committee is currently seeking volunteers to fill various roles. If you're interested in contributing, please email bartv@hellousa.info and indicate the position you'd like to apply for!

Join on February 8, 2025, for the Holliston Lunar New Year Potluck Celebration at Sam Placentino Elementary School, 235 Woodland St., Holliston, MA 01746.

The event kicks off at 5:00 PM with a Holiday Fair, followed by dinner at 6:00 PM, and performances from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM.

 

Families are encouraged to participate in the potluck by bringing 1-2 dishes to share, enough to cover their own family. Please indicate the number of attendees when participating.

 

Tickets can be purchased by scanning the QR codes for Zelle or Venmo on the flyer. For more information, call 781-401-1762. 

Grant & Program Opportunities

(Rolling Deadline) Amber Grant - Women's Net gives away at least $30,000 every month in Amber Grant money. In recognition of the diversity of businesses owned by women, they've also expanded their grant-giving to include Marketing Grants, Business Category Grants, as well as two $25,000 Year End Grants.

 

(Rolling Deadline) Free LLC Formation for Moms - Zenbusiness is giving every mom in America the ability to start an LLC for free, plus the cost of your state fee.  

Let your Legislators know that 

Credit Card Fees are out of control!

Please email your legislators and let them know that credit card fees are out of control. Massachusetts is one of two states that does not allow a business to add a convenience fee to consumer purchases to cover the cost of processing payment by credit or debit card. And while it has been like this for many years, the pandemic has exacerbated the issue as more and more consumers rely on credit cards. While 2% to the customer only amounts to a few dollars, 2% on all credit card transactions is a large expense for the business owner.

Founded in 2018, Massachusetts Asian Restaurant Association (MARA) is a non-profit corpo­ration registered at Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It formed a partnership with Massachu­setts Restaurant Association (MRA) in 2020. MARA provides Asian restaurant businesses the resources and guidance needed to advance in the industry. MARA is a platform connecting Asian restaurant members with professional service providers as well as relevant governmental entities to enhance the communication collaboration and mutual benefits. Visit ma-ara.org to join or learn more.