Tony Cheng

Tony Cheng is restaurateur, entrepreneur and community leader based in Washington, D.C. He is the founder and owner of Tony Cheng’s Restaurants, which includes multiple award-winning restaurants in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore region, as well as Mountain View Orchard in Stafford, VA.  

Tony grew up in Fuzhou, China and Hong Kong.  He immigrated to the United States in 1966 and quickly gained skills and knowledge through working and training in restaurants in Washington, D.C and New York City.  In 1970, Tony opened his first restaurant, Mandarin Inn, in New York City’s Chinatown and a second restaurant the following year, in Alexandria, VA, just a few miles outside of Washington, D.C.  By 1977, Tony opened Szechuan Restaurant, in D.C.’s Chinatown. 

Szechuan Restaurant garnered much success and acclaim, including Washingtonian Magazine’s coveted Restaurateur of the Year award.  Szechuan Restaurant even attracted the attention of President Jimmy Carter, and in 1981, Tony had the honor of being invited into the White House to prepare a meal personally for President Carter and his family as well as close cabinet members. 

Following the success of Szechuan Restaurant, he opened 2 additional restaurants in D.C.’s Chinatown, Tony Cheng’s Seafood and Mongolian Restaurants, as well as 2 restaurants in the Baltimore area.  Over the years, Tony’s restaurants were regularly featured on “Best Restaurant” lists and have hosted Presidents, Mayors, international heads of state, celebrities and professional athletes alike. 

Tony continued to expand his love and passion for food into agriculture.  In 1999, he launched Mountain View Orchard, a locally grown and family-owned Asian Pear orchard in Stafford, VA.  The orchard’s success and superior product lies in the traditional farming methods such as dryland farming and hand harvesting and packing.  Retail partners include Wegmans, Whole Foods and Harris Teeter. 

Tony is proud to be a longtime community leader and activist in D.C.’s Chinatown.  He was instrumental in the establishment of the District’s Sister City relationship with Beijing as well as the Friendship Archway that is currently the main cultural landmark in the city.  Tony helped establish the Chinatown Steering Committee as well as the Chinatown Community Cultural Center and currently serves as Chairman for both. 

He has served as a Senior Advisor for the Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs as was appointed “Mayor of Chinatown” by then Mayor Marion Barry.  Additionally, Tony was key in bringing the Capital One Arena (originally named MCI Center) to the Chinatown area and served as the community’s main advocates that spearheaded the development of the arena and the revitalization efforts that followed.