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Dan Ryan's Chicago Grill at Pacific Place will be sorely missed, but Swire is considering improvement options for the mall. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

‘Tears will be shed’: US-style diner Dan Ryan’s to shut down Pacific Place venue in Hong Kong after 27 years

Dan Ryan’s Chicago Grill will shutter its flagship Pacific Place restaurant in Admiralty, Hong Kong, in April.

The American-style family diner will close as landlord Swire Properties considers improvement options for the mall. The move comes amid an ongoing decline in retail sales in the city.

Merritt Croker, chief executive of Windy City International, which runs Dan Ryan’s, told the Sunday Morning Pos t he was proud of making Dan Ryan’s a success after 27 years in business in Admiralty.

“We were more successful than we thought we would ever be. We worked really hard to make it authentic,” he said.

“Dan Ryan’s in Pacific Place does great sales. It’s not only the DNA of the restaurant scene, but the DNA of the company because it started everything.”

Commenting on the closure, Croker added: “Seeing this one close is sad for us, but it’s part of our business [strategy] going forward and Swire’s plan to reposition the mall.”

“We respect that decision. And Swire continues to open doors for us at other locations,” he added.

Other Dan Ryan’s restaurants in Kowloon Tong and Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui will remain open.

A spokeswoman for Swire Properties said: “We recognise that this enhancement exercise will bring about changes, but we are confident that enlarging our food and beverages footprint ... will bring about improvements that will be welcomed by our customers at Pacific Place.”

Swire said details of the new restaurant at the Dan Ryan’s location will be unveiled in due course.

“We are also looking into increasing the F&B footprint in the mall by converting some retail spaces for F&B use,” the spokeswoman added.

The Post’s food critic Bernice Chan described Dan Ryan’s as an “institution”.

“When the Pacific Place outlet closes there will be some tears shed,” she said.

“To be around for 27 years is a long time in Hong Kong these days; new restaurants can be open and then gone in less than six months or a year.”

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