Hong Kong banquet restaurant’s suspected closure upends wedding plans
Starry Terrace in Tsim Sha Tsui had been accepting deposits for events and took part in wedding expo last month
A Hong Kong banquet restaurant that promoted its venue at a wedding expo last month is suspected to have shut without notice, leaving couples who made event bookings in the lurch.
The Customs and Excise Department said on Tuesday it had received reports about Starry Terrace’s suspected closure and pledged to take enforcement action if any violation of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance was found. The restaurant is part of the Super Star Group in Tsim Sha Tsui.
As of 5pm on Tuesday, the Consumer Council had received eight complaints about the restaurant, involving HK$607,000 (US$78,000), with the highest single complaint reaching HK$109,000.
The suspected closure came to light after local wedding gown company Peache Bridal Atelier revealed that a client who had planned to hold a banquet there in December found the lift button for the restaurant’s floor was no longer working over the weekend.
“We personally went to the site [on Monday] to help my client find out if the Starry Terrace at 8 Observatory Road had already closed. Upon arrival, we asked the building’s management, which confirmed that no one had been seen inside the restaurant for two to three weeks,” company founder Vienna Lau said.
“A client of mine told me they paid a deposit of HK$30,000 to HK$50,000, but the restaurant was continuously pressing them for the second payment.