Hong Kong’s restaurant scene regains old buzz as Sang Kee joins other operators in expansion drive amid economic recovery
- Sang Kee, a Hong Kong fixture since 1976, is opening its third outlet in partnership with Golden Bauhinia at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre
- Restaurant operators are taking advantage of the economic recovery, consumption vouchers and falling rents to open new branches
The food and beverage (F&B) sector has also benefited from the government’s consumption voucher scheme to boost local spending. And with retail rents still subdued, restaurant operators are looking to cash in on the upswing.
Among them is Sang Kee Restaurant, which has been serving authentic Cantonese dishes for the past 45 years. This year’s winner of the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand award, which recognises friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices, is teaming up with Golden Bauhinia Cantonese Restaurant to open its third outlet at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre in Wan Chai.
“We want to introduce Guangdong cuisine to more people outside Hong Kong,” said Dicken Wong Lap-yan, who has been running the restaurant since his father died in 1999. “We may not have this opportunity when the market is good.”
The Golden Bauhinia Sang Kee Restaurant, which will serve guests from next month, is spread over 6,000 sq ft and can accommodate 150 people, he added.
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Tiny Hong Kong noodle shop turns into jazz club amid pandemic
Overall restaurant sector receipts last year shrank to HK$79.4 billion (US$10.2 billion) from HK$112.5 billion in 2019, as the government-mandated social-distancing regulations to contain the coronavirus pandemic and vanishing tourists hammered the industry, government data showed.
