Opinion | Coronavirus: call to save Hong Kong’s restaurants and bars sees F&B professionals unite under new initiative

#SaveHKFnB is a group of chefs, restaurateurs, bar owners and more thinking up ideas to help support Hong Kong’s suffering international F&B scene

One scheme being looking at is launching a website where people can buy vouchers to be used after social distancing measures are relaxed

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Tables and chairs taped for social distancing measures at a restaurant in Admiralty, Hong Kong. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 8:30am, 24 Apr 2020Updated: 8:30am, 24 Apr 2020

A couple of weeks ago, about 100 Hong Kong-based food and beverage (F&B) professionals – including chefs, restaurateurs and bar owners – gathered in person and on Zoom for the first meeting of the #SaveHKFnB initiative.

One person who spoke a fair amount was Alan Lo, co-founder of the Classified Group, which has restaurants including The Pawn (in Wan Chai) and Classified (several locations). Lo is one of several who helped launch the #SaveHKFnB initiative and is part of the core group of about 12 members who are trying to come up with ideas to help support the industry.

“We have a very diverse background – different ethnicities, different types of establishments, small independent operators to medium-sized ones listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange – so we can get different perspectives,” Lo says of the new group. “We’re planning initiatives – things to do immediately, for short-term solutions, but also planning for the long term.”

Alan Lo, co-founder of the Classified Group and one of the core members of the #SaveHKFnB initiative. Photo: Bruce Yan

He says #SaveHKFnB was started to help F&B professionals who fell outside the purview of the catering functional constituency representation in the Legislative Council.

“Our segment – speciality F&B and international F&B – is a community of restaurateurs and bar owners who may not be part of the Maxim’s [Hong Kong restaurant group] or Chinese local restaurant or cha chaan teng groups,” Lo says.