High Hat

Another Henry Louie restaurant, just outside of Portland.

Hi Hat

The Hi Hat restaurant was built and owned by Henry Louie, and then his son Stephen and daughter Janet, after him.  The restaurant was first located on SW Barbur Blvd from around 1958 to 1968, when its first location burned, at an estimated loss of $125,000.  A larger restaurant was built, featuring a bar that accommodated live entertainment and a venue that could seat 300 persons, on the outskirts of Portland, in Tigurd.  This second location, on the Pacific Coast Highway, opened in 1970 and remained open until 2011.  

Henry Louie was one of the foremost restaurateurs in the Chinese American business community, showing up as regularly in newspaper accounts as Leland Chinn.  Henry Louie had reportedly come to Portland in 1983, working at the famous Portland restaurant, Huber’s.  A 1970 Oregonian profile (January 30th), described Louie as having followed the tradition of the men of his family, working in the US but marrying and starting a family back in China.  His son, Steve, was brought to the US with his mother as a teenager, having been separated from his father for 14 years.  Steve served in the US airforce during World War II and assisted in running family restaurants.  His son, Steve, Jr., was noted to be the first American-born Louie male in the family.  The 1970 profile noted the many leadership roles that Henry Louie played in the local Chinese American community–President of the “Ban Gan” tong and Vice President of the “Suey Yen Tong” as well as a member of the Chinese Restaurant and Business Association.

The earliest advertisement for the restaurant under Louie’s management appears in the Oregon Daily journal on June 13, 1958.  “Henry Louie telephoned that he has reopened the Hi Hat restaurant on SW Barubur.  Chinese dishes are now part of the elaborate menu.”  A September 19, 1962 article, also in the Oregon Daily, “Henry Louie celebrates the sixth anniversary at the Hi Hat on SW Barbur Blvd. With an open house and special commemorative gifts for patrons. Charming interior of the Chinese American restaurant has been redecorated in Walnut panels touched off with red carpets.  It's most attractive.”  This would mean that the restaurant opened in 1956.  

Louie was also involved at the Silk Hat by 1955, described as a manager in the Daily Oregon (see Silk Hat blog entry).  The similarity in the names and branding of the restaurants suggests an intentional linking of the properties.  Still, showing how confusing the business landscape of Henry Louie’s empire was, the Portland City Directory has him listed as working at the Golden Wheel, along with family members Wallace Louie and Yan To Louie.  Henry’s son, Stephen, in the 1955 city directory was listed as a cook for Silk Hat, while other household members (all residing at 622 N. Roselawn), Allen was at Lotus Garden, another restaurant Henry was described as owning at one point.  High Hat, outside of the boundaries of Portland, doesn’t appear in any city directories found thus far.

Henry Louie remained a high profile figure in Portland’s Chinese American community (see Silk Hat, as well), but fell into disrepute in 1979 (The Oregonian April 17, 1979) when he was convicted to 45 days in jail and a $10,000 fine for underreporting his income in 1973.  Louie was not the only restaurant owner in Portland to underreport taxes, but it is interesting to ponder whether Chinese American owners were pursued to a greater extent.   Louie’s death was reported on February 12, 2000.  The restaurant came under the management first of his so, Stephen, and then his daughter, Dorothy, closing in 2011 when she decided to retire.  The restaurant still stands and serves as a sports bar.