Gold Garden Cafe to shut 1 of 2 branches in Hong Kong amid tough market
Owner Davis Ng says staff departures drove decision to close branch of cha chaan teng known for its egg tarts
Gold Garden Cafe, a cha chaan teng known for its egg tarts, will close one of its two branches and lay off some staff as Hong Kong’s food and beverage sector continues to face difficult market conditions.
Davis Ng Kwai-ting, owner of the Hong Kong-style cafe, said on Monday that while the decision was mainly spurred by the departure of some kitchen staff, the poor economy and the desire to focus his efforts on the main branch were also reasons behind the closure.
Tucked away in a residential district, Cheung Sha Wan, the cha chaan teng is known for its signature Hong Kong food offerings such as egg tarts, silky milk tea and macaroni in soup.
Many locals were seen queuing outside the restaurants for egg tarts, which were rolled out on a trolley fresh from the kitchen.
“Firstly, a few of the kitchen staff said they wanted to start their own restaurant and they found someone who wanted to co-invest with them, so they told me a month ago that they didn’t want to work here any more,” Ng said.
“After thinking about it seriously for a month, with the economy being poor right now and that I would have to learn how to work with the new team, in this situation, I decided that I don’t want to continue operating the second branch for the time being.”