William Ng remembers when his father, Chuck, opened Jade Garden 36 years ago. It was the forth Chinese restaurant in the county, and before the influx of carry-outs and chain restaurants, Jade Garden was quite the hot spot.

"It was mobbed," the Severn man recalled. "We had 30 seats and people lining up to come in."

Ng, whose father passed away five years ago, will close Jade Garden at the end of this month, and not without a heavy heart. He said the downturn in the economy, older customers moving away and some passing away and a changing restaurant landscape in the county have hurt...