Hong Kong's struggling catering sector continues to face closures, with the long-established Chinese restaurant chain Lei Garden set to shut its Mong Kok branch on April 28 after 46 years of operation.
Staff at the outlet confirmed the news, saying they were informed abruptly that "the company has decided to cease operations," with no prior signs of closure.
Opened in 1980 on Sai Yee Street in Mong Kok, the restaurant was awarded two Michelin stars in 2012. Sources said the premises are owner-occupied and that the business had remained stable in recent years.
All staff would be laid off without reassignment to other outlets.
Lei Garden has already closed its Yuen Long and apm branches in recent years, leaving only eight outlets remaining in HK.
A former waitress who worked at the chain's apm branch told DotDotNews that the earlier closure was not unexpected, as staff had been mentally prepared. She has since moved to work at another restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui and said she is not overly concerned about displaced workers, noting that staffing shortages persist across chain restaurants.
Founded in 1973 in HK by Chan Shu-kit, Lei Garden opened its first outlet in Sham Shui Po and later relocated to Yau Ma Tei five years later. The Mong Kok branch, opened in 1980, marked the beginning of its expansion into a chain.
The company entered the Singapore market in 1987 and expanded into the Chinese Mainland in 1994.
According to its official website, the group currently operates 18 outlets, with a central kitchen in Tai Po and a workforce of up to 2,500 employees.
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