You will find Yang’s Teriyaki inside a large old house, sitting near Western Oregon University’s campus. There is only street parking. Yang’s is closed on weekends, only takes cash, and has an extremely limited menu. These are inconveniences that do not deter its enormous customer base. It is not unusual to see lines 13 people deep waiting to order, or customers pacing outside Yang’s locked door, waiting for the open sign.

The food served at Yang’s, smoky teriyaki meat, cabbage and rice, is the kind that creeps back into your mind when you aren’t eating it. Once tasted, it could forever provoke cravings that nothing else will satisfy. But that is only part of the restaurant’s success story.

Yao-Tsung Yang and his wife Serena created the restaurant in the mid-1990s. It was the end of a long journey for the couple and their two children. Both were teachers in their native Taiwan until dissatisfaction with the harsh Taiwanese school system helped motivate their move to America. Yao-Tsung sought a computer science degree from WOU in the late 1980s, but was unable to find much use for it. He was then hired by a friend in Seattle to drive a seafood delivery truck.

Yao-Tsung and Serena’s son, Jay, explains his parents’ life before Yang’s Teriyaki.

“It was really hard on them. My mom was a waitress at a Chinese restaurant. It took really heavy tolls on their bodies. I saw my dad age. My dad would drive home, get to a traffic stop, and have to pinch himself to keep from falling asleep."

Says Jay, “Both my parents were very good cooks. My mom taught home economics back in Taiwan. When they were teachers my father would often hold tutorial sessions for up to 50 students in his home at night, all needing to be fed. We’ve been feeding a lot of people through our lives.”

Natural talent and encouragement from Monmouth friends led to the creation of Yang’s Teriyaki. But it was the family that caused it to thrive. Even the low prices (a large chicken teriyaki meal runs $4.95) are a result of the family’s commitment. Explains Jay, "The main reason we could have those low prices was because my parents were here, all the time. One of the highest expenses in business is labor. My parents worked here from before 7 a.m. until about 9 p.m.”

Thirty-seven-year-old Jay is a father of four and a former pastor. He bought the restaurant from his parents last September. He now works from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. with limited help.

He says with a smile, “So now it is my time. It’s my time to be tired.”

The business is conscious of the values of their clients, and strives to produce as little waste as possible. Jay regrets the heavy need for styrofoam in the carryout aspect of his business.

“We just haven’t been able to find anything else that’s viable. Paper doesn’t work, because everything would soak through. We recycle all we can. If I try to go the green route, I’d either have to close because we’d go under from the tremendous cost, or we’d have to raise our prices. We don’t want to do that, we recognize our clientele are college students. When they come in counting their pennies, I want to be able to say, 'It’s affordable food for you.'”

It is very important to Jay to continue the traditions of his parents.

“I think for my parents it’s not just the selling part of the business. They would never presume [this], but I think one of the reasons the college students liked coming here when my parents were here was that they felt someone cared about them away from home. The first year that we opened a lot of the football players, they camped out here. They still come back, and my mom remembers their orders from 14 years ago. We get baby announcements and wedding invitations.”

Jay still projects that caring sentiment as best he can, greeting customers with genuine friendliness while hurrying to fill their orders.

Yang’s Teriyaki is located at 140 Monmouth Avenue N. in Monmouth.