A restaurant in Philadelphia’s Chinatown has closed indefinitely due to an electrical problem caused by excessive steam in the building’s statement.

Sang Kee Peking Duck House shut down on Monday, Dec. 16, leaving the restaurant’s 30 employees without work and shutting customers out of one of their favorite dining spots.

Henry Chow, who manages the establishment for his parents who own the restaurant, said the building has had infrastructure issues in the past, but the steam in the basement has created significant challenges.

According to Chow, customers noticed hot steam coming from the vents in the ground outside the restaurant’s front doors. Chow contacted emergency crews, which completed inspections, but little was done to correct the problem.

A call placed last Wednesday, Dec. 11, also did little to fix the problem, and by Friday, Dec. 13, Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses and Inspections closed the restaurant. A sign on the shuttered restaurant explains that the damaged steam pipe inside had caused an electrical hazard that also impacted the fire alarm.

An Action News report stated that Vicinity Energy, the company that operates the steam pipe, is “actively working with the PWD and business owner to do a root-cause analysis.”

While Chow said closing the restaurant out of abundance is prudent, he’s frustrated that the root cause of the problem has continued.

“I’m trying to stay hopeful. I was born and raised here in Philadelphia. I love the people here. I love the city. I never want to leave, and everyone has been amazing,” he told Action News. “I don’t want to be a complainer. I just want to open my family’s restaurant.”

“We’ve been coming here since I was little, so it’s always an option to come eat here,” said Linda Scott, of Carney’s Point, New Jersey.

Sang Kee Peking Duck House has operated for more than 40 years and is famous for its signature Peking duck dish. Its website notes it was the first to serve this specialty to Philadelphia.