▁silent . ▁The ▁restaurant ' s ▁name ▁has ▁generally ▁been ▁pron ounced ▁ ▁, ▁an ▁Ang lic ization . ▁The ▁um la ut ▁over ▁the ▁ ▁was ▁left ▁out ▁between ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁which ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁caused ▁difficulties : ▁" The ▁absence ▁of ▁the ▁um la ut ▁had ▁led ▁many ▁new ▁customers ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁place ▁was ▁a ▁Chinese ▁restaurant ," ▁according ▁to ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Context ▁ ▁August ▁Gu ido ▁Lü ch ow , ▁an ▁imm igr ant ▁from ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Han over , ▁Germany , ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 3 . ▁ ▁After ▁working ▁as ▁wait er ▁for ▁a ▁ca fe ▁on ▁Du ane ▁Street , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁b art ender ▁and ▁wait er ▁at ▁a ▁ca fe ▁and ▁be er ▁garden ▁belonging ▁to ▁Baron ▁von ▁Me hl bach . ▁Three ▁years ▁later , ▁aged ▁ 2 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁purchase ▁the ▁business ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁a ▁$ 1 5 0 0 ▁loan ▁from ▁William ▁Stein way , ▁the ▁piano ▁magn ate , ▁who ▁had ▁his ▁concert - hall - and - show rooms ▁ven ue ▁Stein way ▁Hall ▁across ▁the ▁street ▁at ▁Union ▁Square , ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁regular ▁customer ▁at ▁the ▁von ▁Me hl bach ▁establishment . ▁ ▁The ▁property ▁was ▁only ▁about ▁an ▁e ighth ▁in ▁size ▁of ▁what ▁would ▁become ▁Lü