The last two years have been hard for the F&B industry in Hong Kong. Protests and months of restricted openings or, in the case of bars, outright closures have left many establishments struggling to survive. Just last month Allan Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group, estimated that 35 per cent of businesses in the bar industry had closed and called the situation a “nightmare”. Unsurprisingly, owners of bars that have remained buoyant have sought alternative ways to keep staff in work and tills ringing. Some are making full use of their restaurant licence for the first time and serving food, while others are selling bottled cocktails or offering master classes. Where to eat in Sham Shui Po: 7 top restaurants in the old Hong Kong neighbourhood Moves towards such diversification predate Covid-19, but the pandemic has accelerated the process. One of the most noticeable recent trends in Hong Kong is the increasing prevalence of establishments acting as coffee shops by day and bars by night. Previously, this overlap of caffeine and alcohol was restricted to an espresso martini – many bars and coffee shops exhibiting an “East is East, West is West” philosophy. Baristas and bartenders in Hong Kong often have very different personality types. Baristas here tend to be a little more reserved … The best bartenders are much more social Rob Kariakin, operations manager at Winstons Coffee Such a situation is a curious reversal of the history of cafes. The term “espresso bar” comes from when espresso machines were first invented in the early 20th century and Italian bars introduced them to their establishments to appeal to a wider variety of customers. Most significantly, the word “barista” is Italian for “bartender”. Yet in seeking to justify increasingly high prices for both coffee and cocktails, bartenders and baristas long ago split ways, each emphasising the unique artistry of their work and the specialist skills required to do the job properly. History repeats itself, however, and barriers are coming down. In locations all over Hong Kong, expertly made espresso is giving way to punctiliously prepared cocktails later in the day. One of the pioneers of this trend was Fineprint, which opened on Peel Street in January 2015. Founded by husband and wife team Scottie and Jemima Callaghan, the concept provides quality coffee and baked goods in the morning and wines and cocktails later in the day. 10 new Hong Kong restaurants and dining deals “The dual concept has been a part of who we are since inception,” explains Scottie. There are many reasons why offering coffee by day and alcohol by night makes sense. Most obviously, selling both allows a business to expand its hours beyond the norm given the tendency for coffee shops to close early and for bars to open late in the day. However, delivering both to a high level is not as easy as it may seem. One of the primary challenges is finding suitable staff. It’s not a lack of technical expertise, says Rob Kariakin, operations manager at Winstons Coffee, another successful bar and cafe concept. Rather, the issue is one of temperament. “On the surface, at least, baristas and bartenders in Hong Kong often have very different personality types,” says Rob Kariakin. “Baristas here tend to be a little more reserved. They can be friendly but ultimately their default is to not intrude on the customer. The best bartenders are much more social: they operate under the mindset that the customer is there specifically to interact, with staff and with other customers. And a bartender’s job is to help facilitate that – to be a host and emcee. So they tend to be a lot more extroverted. We require baristas who have a little more of that bar feel, which isn’t easy to find. And I think that’s part of why there are so few places like us.” Successful marketing is a common problem with customers now used to bars and coffee shops existing as separate enterprises. Callaghan pinpoints this as Fineprint’s biggest challenge. He tells us: “Are we a sourdough bakery? Yes, we are. Are we a coffee roastery and coffee bar? Yes, we are. Are we a wine bar? Yes, we are. Communicating all that is a great challenge.” Such sentiments are echoed by Michael Yung, general manager of Cupping Room, whose concept Doubleshot by Cupping Room is one of the latest to bridge the coffee and cocktails divide. “The main challenge from the outset was that the general public would want to categorise us as a coffee shop since the idea of an all-day cafe with all-day drinking was not widely known in Hong Kong,” he says. Despite the challenges, all three establishments have found eager customers. Winstons has expanded from Sai Ying Pun to Kennedy Town, while Fineprint now has three locations on Hong Kong Island. Doubleshot may be just one of Cupping Room’s 10 locations but that, too, has been a success with a number of high-profile collaborations to its name, including Two Moons Distillery, The Daily Tot and Apothecary. Where to eat in Tsim Sha Tsui’s Harbour City Despite the economic devastation wrought by Covid-19, these establishments have at least been able to survive. Although bars have been closed for months, these dual concept spaces have been able to continue steady business even if the evening trade and alcohol side of things has “largely evaporated”, according to Kariakin. “We’re obviously much more fortunate than the places that are straight-up bars,” he continues. “The Hong Kong bar community is incredibly close, and we’ve seen a lot of good friends suffer terribly. Some of my favourite bars in Hong Kong, like Honi Honi and Brickhouse, are now closed and not coming back. So, compared to that, we have no right to complain.” Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .