Earlier this year, Ellenville residents noticed that Ming Moon, a Chinese restaurant previously located on Center Street, had closed. Lin, the daughter of Ming Moon’s original owners who asked not to share her first name, said the restaurant closed in July. What will happen to the building, which is currently for sale, has yet to be decided.

According to Lin, her parents operated Ming Moon from the early 2000s until 2014, when they leased the property to tenants who operated China One until 2024. After that lease ended, different tenants reopened the restaurant as Ming Moon before eventually leaving the property. Lin said her parents went to court to regain possession of the building.

“We're not really sure what their reason for not wanting to continue operating the restaurant [was], but they left for their own reasons,” Lin said. “That's when my dad went down there and looked at the restaurant; now they're renovating it.”

Lin said her parents had discussed selling the property before the most recent tenants left. The building, which is currently listed on the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, includes the 55-foot former restaurant space as well as two residential units in the back. The .23 acre lot is set at an asking price of $459,000.

Her parents are looking to retire and relocate to either New York City or China, Lin said. Neither she nor her brother wants to take over the restaurant. Her parents may also decide to reopen Ming Moon temporarily while the property remains on the market.

“The plan is basically that they're gonna keep the listing up, and if they get any offers that they like, they would take it. But they are planning on running the restaurant [again],” Lin said. “They don't know when because right now they don't think that they're going to be able to sell it for the price that they want to sell it, so they do expect to be there and operating for maybe a year or two.”

Some Ellenville residents speculated on the Nextdoor app that Ming Moon had closed because of health issues. Lin said that was not the case. Her father broke his leg last summer and required multiple surgeries, but she said the restaurant's closure was the result of the previous tenants leaving, not her father's injury.

Lin said Ming Moon could reopen later this year, depending on how long renovations take, although there is no guarantee that it will. If the property is ultimately sold, what becomes of the building and restaurant space will be up to the new owners.