The news of Ocean Empire, a 33-year-old congee restaurant chain, suddenly shutting down is not surprising. The catering industry has struggled mightily since Hong Kong reopened its borders after the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, and many local restaurants have bitten the dust.
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The disrupter of the century so far, the pandemic has permanently changed so much in our lives – and not just in terms of people falling ill. We can see the effects of Covid-19 in every closed shop and struggling business. We can also see the impact of the measures taken to fight the pandemic in the lingering effects of prolonged isolation and limited socialisation on schoolchildren.
Pandemic measures have changed our behaviour so much that Hongkongers are now eating out less. When the weekend arrives, people venture out to Shenzhen or other nearby mainland cities in search of better bargains and service.
“Revenge spending” – the surge of spending that arose after months of boredom and sheltering in tiny living spaces – has turned into a habit for some. And as nostalgic as some of us are for the “old” Hong Kong, far too many people continue to seek new experiences in new places.
Even after the intrigue and excitement of the new wears off, the easy access to the mainland and the many choices and better prices businesses there offer consumers make it difficult to win back customers and diners at home. That is why the news of so many local restaurants shutting shop is alarming but no longer surprising.
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Shop occupancy recovers in Hong Kong, but vacant stores still visible across the city
Shop occupancy recovers in Hong Kong, but vacant stores still visible across the city
Has enough been done to reverse this trend? Our government has definitely tried with some expensive campaigns, starting with “Night Vibes Hong Kong”, in an effort to resuscitate the nightlife for which the city was once known. The pandemic choked off our nightlife and, after three years, we got accustomed to staying home.
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