After success in Lynn, Fred W. Yee opened Salem Lowe Co. at 228 Essex Street in 1912. The restaurant specialized in authentic Chinese cuisine and American fare.
On August 29, 1912, the Salem Evening News published a lengthy article on Salem Lowe’s arrival, discussing in detail the interior of the soon-to-open restaurant, “There are 24 private slips, accommodating four, six, or eight persons, as may be desired. Should more wish to sit together, and still be private, partitions between the slips may be easily and quickly removed. Each slip is provided with electric lights, an electric fan, an electric bell, which calls a waiter by ringing in the main room, and a marble table top. Each slip also has mirrors, and pictures, the scene of which at first seems to be painted on glass, but which is really woven in silk. They were brought from China.”
Three years after the restaurant’s opening, the Salem Evening News printed an article spotlighting the Yee family, dubbing the four brothers “A Quartet of Energetic Business Men; All Well Educated.” Stating that Fred was assisted by his younger brothers in managing the city's "big restaurant."
Around 1932, Salem Lowe Co. opened a seasonal lunch stand in the Salem Willows, which quickly became renowned for serving chop suey sandwiches. By 1938, Salem Lowe’s downtown location moved across Townhouse Square from Essex Street to a larger space at 114 Washington Street. After more than 20 years on Washington Street, the downtown location closed its doors for good. The Willows location remained open seasonally until August 2022, when David Yee retired and sold the property. When Salem Lowe closed, the restaurant had been in business for 110 years.
In Spring 2023, Kathleen Rodgers and Ryan Harriman of Spitfire Tacos announced they would be reopening Salem Lowe as a year-round eatery.
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Digitized Archives
Salem Lowe Photographs and Ephemera
Salem Lowe Menu
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