Chefs and restaurateurs tell us how the Hong Kong government’s frequently changing social distancing measures have impacted them, and what they hope is the light at the end of the tunnel
For more than a year, Hong Kong’s restaurant and bar industry has seen challenge after challenge, with the situation fluctuating month after month. Mass unemployment and staff furloughs, negotiations with landlords and increasingly tight restrictions cutting into their bottom lines have become the unfortunate new reality for many of those in the hospitality business. As Hong Kong surpasses its 3,000th Covid-19 case this week, risks and government-decreed restrictions remain, culminating in a full dine-in ban that was implemented on 29 July but quickly reversed on 30 July, leaving many confused and angry.
We spoke to several of those in the business to gauge their responses to the situation, from long-established restaurateurs to chefs who have only recently launched new restaurants and ventures in an incredibly challenging environment.
See also: Visualising The Impact Of Coronavirus On Hong Kong's F&B Industry