Hong Kong high-end supermarket chain City’super to shut its last food court

Luxury supermarket chain City’super is closing its last remaining food court in Hong Kong’s Times Square shopping centre, as the city’s sluggish economy continues to take a toll on the catering and food production sectors.

The Amazing Food Hall in the upscale mall and office complex in Causeway Bay will be closed from June 30, with the space returned to the landlord upon lease renewal, a spokeswoman said on Thursday.

The closure means City’super will no longer operate any food courts after the company shut its 22-year-old CookedDeli food hall in Harbour City, a shopping complex in Tsim Sha Tsui, in February last year, following the expiration of its lease.

A City’super spokeswoman said the decision to close the food court – which currently offers items such as sushi, grilled meat and noodle dishes, alongside a wine and sake cellar – was made in light of changing consumer patterns and the chain’s long-term portfolio strategy.

The food and drink section of the adjacent supermarket in Times Square would be renovated to include a new seating area and was expected to reopen by mid-September, she added.

But the company did not specify how many staff members would be affected by the closure or the terms of their severance packages.

A worker at the food hall said dozens of staff were affected and that the company did not offer any help in relocating to other positions.