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All the United States Wisconsin Cozy Inn Restaurant
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Cozy Inn Restaurant

Wisconsin’s oldest Chinese restaurant, still glowing beneath its historic neon sign.

Janesville, Wisconsin

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Cozy Inn’s Iconic Neon Sign   Chet Reynoldz / Atlas Obscura User
Janesville June 2024   Michael Barera
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About

The Cozy Inn restaurant is an enduring institution in Janesville, Wisconsin.

Not only is it beloved by locals, it’s historic: The business opened in November 1922 and is the oldest Chinese restaurant in Wisconsin. It’s also the second-oldest continuously operating Chinese restaurant in the United States, meaning it has remained in the same location since the day it opened.

The restaurant’s iconic neon sign, long a beacon on Milwaukee Street, was recently restored and officially designated a historic landmark, ensuring that its distinctive glow will continue welcoming diners for years to come.

Inside, the Cozy Inn preserves much of its vintage charm, offering traditional Chinese-American dishes served in an atmosphere that hasn’t changed much in a century. It’s a rare surviving example of early Chinese immigrant entrepreneurship in the Midwest, and a cherished community landmark.

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Not wheelchair accessible, entry requires climbing staircase that leads up to the cozy, retro dining room.

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Published

December 11, 2025

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  • https://www.channel3000.com/features/in-the-608-cozy-inn-wisconsin-s-oldest-chinese-restaurant-celebrates-100-years-in-janesville/article_9fcc08ec-7f80-5df1-8999-c0a9ce468d0e.html
  • https://wisconsinlife.org/food-traditions/beef-cantonese-chow-mein/

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History & Culture Food Restaurants Neon
Cozy Inn Restaurant
214 W Milwaukee Street
Janesville, Wisconsin, 53548
United States
42.681688, -89.026606
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