‘We tried our best’: owners of failed Hong Kong congee chain break silence

The owners of a Hong Kong congee restaurant chain that closed abruptly, leaving about 100 unpaid workers in limbo, have broken their silence, saying they made the difficult decision after selling their own assets and borrowing money in a bid to stay afloat.

The city’s Labour minister said on Saturday that the government had been in touch with the company, the 33-year-old Ocean Empire Food Shop, as he sought to reassure workers that their wages would be largely recovered and paid within about three months.

The owners’ comments on Friday night followed mounting accusations that they had been “irresponsible” by referring workers to labour authorities to claim unpaid wages from a government fund.

Founders Siu Chor-kee and Choi Wong-hoe said they sought to raise funds by selling their personal property, borrowing from others, using personal assets and enduring high interest loans to pay staff wages and cover operating expenses, but faced a sluggish economy and a worsening financial environment.

“Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have used more than HK$30 million of personal funds to make up for the company’s losses,” they said.

“We have always tried our best and tried every means to save the company and its business. Unfortunately, due to the extremely severe operating environment, we have no choice but to end the business.”