Sherman Kao
Sherman G. Kao (born September 29, 1918 in Peking (Beijing), China; died April 16, 1993 in Birmingham) was a restaurateur.
Kao grew up in Peking and fled to Hong Kong during the Chinese Revolution of 1949. He worked at a clothing manufacturer before he immigrated to the United States in 1967. He brought with him a referral to Joy Young Restaurant in Birmingham. He worked in the kitchen for five years before saving enough to send for his wife, May and children in 1972.
In 1975 he opened his own Mandarin-style restaurant, Sherman Kao's, across the street from his house on Pearson Avenue in West End. In November 1977 he relocated the successful business to the Hillcrest Shopping Center at 112 Green Springs Highway. Kao was naturalized as a U.S citizen that same month.
Kao closed his restaurant in 1980, but continued to work as a private chef and caterer with the help of his children. Some of his former employees went on to open their own Chinese restaurants, including Jade Palace and Great Wall. Another employee, Seng Moon Cheng, became manager of the Cathay Inn in Homewood.
Kao, who long suffered from heart disease, died in 1993. He is buried at Elmwood Cemetery.
References
- Slawson, Tabby (June 4, 1986) "Leave the cooking to Kao." Birmingham Post-Herald, p. C1
- Thrush, Glenn (April 19, 1993) "Well-known entrepreneur dies at 74" Birmingham Post-Herald, p. D2
External links
- Sherman G. Kao at Findagrave.com