Pom Pom’s Teahouse asks for community support, still grappling with COVID-19 slowdown

While the height of economic burdens brought on by COVID-19 may be in the past, lasting effects have left some Orlando businesses still struggling to recover. That’s why one beloved eatery is calling for help.

Orlando restaurant Pom Pom’s Teahouse and Sandwicheria is reaching out to its community for support, citing a decline in patrons since before the pandemic.

The establishment’s owner Pom Moongauklang said Saturday in a Facebook post the numbers just aren’t there.

Pom Pom’s has been serving the city fusion fare with Moongauklang’s “East Meets West” sandwich and salad creations for 17 years. Her “Mama Ling-Ling’s Thanksgiving” sandwich has won multiple awards, and the restaurant regularly wins or places in Orlando Weekly‘s Best of Orlando readers poll for best late-night dining, best teahouse, best curbside service, best sandwich, best lunch and more.

The post came one day after the eatery experienced a dip in Friday night customers. “Our nights aren’t what it use to be,” the post reads.

Pom Pom’s call for help follows several other local shutdowns in Orlando. Longstanding downtown venue Ace Cafe announced Sunday evening it would be closing for good, confirming rumors already buzzing through town. Only weeks prior, French restaurant Le Coq au Vin closed its doors, too, after half a century serving the city.

Pom Pom’s lost much of its staff and downsized its menu during the pandemic. After seeing a decline in customers, Moongauklang is determined to return to the spot’s previous full menu this week, Orlando’s News 6 reports.

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This article appears in May 24-30, 2023.