Opinion | Face it, Hong Kong’s bars won’t recover unless enough expats return

I was in Wan Chai lately for some open mic events. The once bustling Lockhart Road and Jaffe Road were very quiet. The space vacated in 2021 by the Coyote Bar & Grill, after being a popular Wan Chai fixture for 23 years, remains vacant.

The plight of bars in Hong Kong is clear: the Covid-19 pandemic hit them really hard and they have never fully recovered.

The latest government statistics released on May 6 confirmed my anecdotal experience. The bar trade was the worst performer of the entire restaurant sector in the first quarter. While the whole industry saw a revenue increase of 2.3 per cent year on year, bars recorded a steep drop of 17.8 per cent.

Bar operators are trying to do something about it. Earlier this month, the Hong Kong Bar and Club Association launched a lucky draw with prizes worth HK$500,000 (US$64,000), and promised more discounts and offers during the holidays.

Association chairman Chin Chun-wing attributed the loss of business at bars to customers preferring to Read further.

Tags: china-tourism