Reopening Ray’s Golden Lion: ‘If it is the last thing I do, I’ll get this business open’

Wendy Culverwell
·2 min read

The team working to revive Ray’s Golden Lion in Richland is vowing to press on after a leaky gas line upended its grand reopening plans.

Owners Talon Jager and Andrew McVay originally planned to reopen Sept. 30 but were forced to delay when a pressure test on the gas line revealed nine leaks between the meter and the kitchen.

They delayed the opening and scrambled to get a contractor in to repair the aging pipeline. Once that is complete, they can schedule the rest of the pre-opening health and fire inspections required before it can open to the public.

Ray’s Golden Lion new owners Talon Yager, left, and Andrew McVay, hope to reopen by late October at 1353 George Washington Way in Richland’s Uptown Shopping Center. A leaky gas line forced them to delay the much anticipated return of the iconic music venue.
Ray’s Golden Lion new owners Talon Yager, left, and Andrew McVay, hope to reopen by late October at 1353 George Washington Way in Richland’s Uptown Shopping Center. A leaky gas line forced them to delay the much anticipated return of the iconic music venue.

Jager said he hopes to open the iconic music venue by the end of October and is working to reschedule the music acts that were booked for dates in early October.

“If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll get this business open,” he said.

Ray’s closed in late 2015 when the business was evicted for failure to pay rent.

Jager and McVay spent the past three years working to restore the restaurant and bar in the Uptown Shopping Center. They calculate they’ve spent $450,000 on the effort and the landlord has contributed $200,000.

The renovations include new kitchen equipment, stage gear and a clean up. It did not include a structural update that would have triggered requirements to bring it up to modern building codes.

When it opens, Ray’s will swap American pub fare for the Chinese and Mongolian food served by the founder, the late Wai Mon “Ray” Chin.

Ray’s has a GoFundMe account to raise money for the gas pipe repairs and to stock the kitchen. The Emerald of Siam Thai Restaurant and Lounge is hosting a benefit for Ray’s Golden Lion Friday evening.

Ray’s Golden Lion is at 1353 George Washington Way in the Uptown Shopping Center. Emerald of Siam is its neighbor and is at 1314 Jadwin Ave.

Track the progress of Ray’s Golden Lion on Facebook, bit.ly/45X0aNY

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