https://www.scmp.com/rss/21407/feed McDonald's is the world's largest fast food restaurant chain. It was founded in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald, who pioneered the idea of operating a hamburger business using production line principles. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Burger King in Japan is tempting franchisees of rival fast-food brands like McDonald’s and Mos Burger by offering them 40 million yen (US$250,000) cashback to jump ship. The offer, under its franchise switching plan, is on the table until 3pm on September 30, according to a statement by the chain issued on Wednesday. Applicants must have been in business for at least three years, submit financial statements for the past three financial years and identify a general manager for the converted... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351275/burger-king-japan-dangles-us250000-rival-franchisees-join-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351275/burger-king-japan-dangles-us250000-rival-franchisees-join-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:36:50 +0000 Andrew Sun Andrew Sun A PR disaster erupted for McDonald’s last week when, in a social media post, its CEO showed little hint that he was “lovin’ it” when eating the company’s new hamburger. The American fast food chain’s chief executive, Chris Kempczinski, posted a clip of himself taste-testing a new menu item called the Big Arch. Unfortunately, it went viral for all the wrong reasons. The CEO’s video had, as the kids would say, no rizz. It looked awkward and forced, and there was little feeling of ravenous hunger... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3346163/mcdonalds-ceos-burger-blunder-video-shows-problem-lacking-common-touch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3346163/mcdonalds-ceos-burger-blunder-video-shows-problem-lacking-common-touch?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:15:08 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A growing global craze has seen foreigners flock to malatang restaurants to celebrate birthdays and go on dates. The trend has sparked widespread online sharing and lively discussions on mainland social media. Malatang, which literally means “numbing, spicy and hot”, is a popular Chinese street food originating from Sichuan province in southwestern China. It consists of various self-selected meats, vegetables and noodles boiled in a broth. Often described as a “personal hotpot”, diners choose... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345275/foreigners-flock-chinese-malatang-eateries-host-birthdays-believe-rich-soup-healthy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345275/foreigners-flock-chinese-malatang-eateries-host-birthdays-believe-rich-soup-healthy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 06:00:12 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye McDonald’s has sold another Hong Kong retail property for HK$93.5 million (US$11.9 million), extending its asset sell-down and bringing total proceeds to about HK$580 million. The ground-floor unit at Mount Sterling Mall in Mei Foo Sun Chuen, Lai Chi Kok, was sold on February 27 to Huge Power (China) Ltd., according to Land Registry records. Companies Registry filings show the directors as Kwok Chong-wah, Kwok Lap-yin and Kwok Shun-sing, members of a veteran investor family. The 6,915 square... https://www.scmp.com/property/article/3345368/mcdonalds-sells-hong-kong-shop-outside-disposal-plan-us119-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/property/article/3345368/mcdonalds-sells-hong-kong-shop-outside-disposal-plan-us119-million?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 06:28:54 +0000 Wynna Wong,Theodora Yu Wynna Wong,Theodora Yu Tens of thousands of Hongkongers and tourists lined the streets in Tsim Sha Tsui on Tuesday evening for the city’s annual Lunar New Year float parade, with the crowd left in awe as they saw dancers, dragons and other delights. The two-hour Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade began at 8pm on Tuesday with an East-meets-West street party featuring dozens of local and overseas performers, although many people arrived hours in advance to claim prime viewing spots. This year’s event,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3343835/excited-spectators-pack-streets-hong-kong-lunar-new-year-night-parade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3343835/excited-spectators-pack-streets-hong-kong-lunar-new-year-night-parade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 11:27:45 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Hong Kong will kick off the Year of the Horse on Tuesday with its annual night parade, featuring floats and performers from more than 60 countries and regions. The Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade will feature a street party at 6pm before the procession begins at 8pm in Tsim Sha Tsui. The South China Morning Post offers tips on how to make the most of the event. 1. What are the highlights? With Cathay Pacific Airways as title sponsor, the parade will showcase 12 floats... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3343720/go-floats-how-you-can-enjoy-hong-kongs-annual-lunar-new-year-night-parade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3343720/go-floats-how-you-can-enjoy-hong-kongs-annual-lunar-new-year-night-parade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 07:34:31 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren For Yum China CEO Joey Wat, success in the mainland’s vast but fierce market does not hinge only on being a local or international fast-food brand. “I personally have huge respect for many local brands,” she said in November. “Chinese players are innovating a lot under the leadership of their founders. We fully understand that this is a cutthroat market.” Wat admitted to being a fan of some mainland restaurant chains whose founders remained pivotal in strategic planning and daily operations.... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3341811/chinese-consumers-rapidly-changing-demands-keep-kfc-owner-its-toes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3341811/chinese-consumers-rapidly-changing-demands-keep-kfc-owner-its-toes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 03:00:10 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service China’s boba behemoth has landed in Hollywood. Mixue, the fast-growing megachain that boasts a bigger global retail footprint than McDonald’s, opened its first US outpost on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame last month, selling drinks for less than US$5 and ice cream for about US$1. Mixue spokesperson Xu Ping said in a written statement in Chinese that the company chose Hollywood, in the American state of California, as its first US location because the “movie capital of the world” attracts both... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3341376/chinese-boba-giant-mixue-hits-hollywood-stirring-us-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3341376/chinese-boba-giant-mixue-hits-hollywood-stirring-us-market?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 23:15:11 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Hong Kong police have arrested a man who brandished a knife in an apparently disoriented state near a McDonald’s outlet in Tsuen Wan, just two days after officers shot dead another blade-wielding attacker elsewhere in the city. Police said they received a report at 8.42am on Saturday from a passer-by that a man was seen holding a knife in the area near a McDonald’s on Tai Ho Road in Tsuen Wan. On arriving at the scene, officers immediately subdued the man, with no injuries reported. The man... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3340242/hong-kong-police-arrest-another-man-knife-days-after-earlier-case-tuen-mun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3340242/hong-kong-police-arrest-another-man-knife-days-after-earlier-case-tuen-mun?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 04:23:32 +0000 Jun Yu Chan Jun Yu Chan As US-China tensions increasingly reshape global business, an old dynamic is re-emerging with the return of the middleman. Multinational firms that once prized direct control are again turning to local partners to navigate political rifts and commercial barriers. The pattern echoes an older era: the same reliance on middlemen that once moved tea and porcelain through old Canton now underpins how TikTok, McDonald’s and Starbucks navigate a divided global economy. Under the Canton system, overseas... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339722/tea-tiktok-middlemans-return-reshaping-china-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339722/tea-tiktok-middlemans-return-reshaping-china-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye McDonald’s has sold another Hong Kong retail property for HK$118.7 million (US$15.2 million), bringing the proceeds from its ongoing asset disposal programme to about HK$490 million, as well-capitalised investors continue to snap up prime real estate. The 10,000 sq ft-plus property at 46-47 Yee Wo Street in Causeway Bay was sold to Evergreen Capital Partners. Ng Yin was listed as director of the firm, according to the Companies Registry. The deal, which was signed on December 10, included the... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3339216/repeat-buyer-tucks-another-mcdonalds-hong-kong-shop-us152-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3339216/repeat-buyer-tucks-another-mcdonalds-hong-kong-shop-us152-million?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:30:09 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Shares of Jollibee Foods jumped the most in more than five years after it announced plans to spin off its international business and list it on a US stock exchange by late 2027 as the Philippine fast-food group plots its global expansion. Jollibee, which increasingly is taking aim at global fast-food giants such as McDonald’s and Yum! Brands from Los Angeles to Ho Chi Minh City, said on Tuesday that it had hired international and local advisers to work on the spin-off and potential US listing.... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3338926/mcdonalds-philippine-rival-jollibee-list-global-business-us-2027?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3338926/mcdonalds-philippine-rival-jollibee-list-global-business-us-2027?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 09:13:27 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Some restaurant management staff at McDonald’s in Hong Kong have been given an average pay rise of 3 per cent, the fast-food chain has said, as it also announced price increases for some menu items. The pay rise took effect on January 1, with employees with excellent performance eligible for increases of up to 5 per cent. The fast-food chain also said on Monday that 12,000 of its frontline and office staff have each received a HK$500 (US$64) red packet, partly in celebration of the franchise’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3338811/hong-kong-mcdonalds-serves-3-pay-rise-some-staff-amid-menu-price-increase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3338811/hong-kong-mcdonalds-serves-3-pay-rise-some-staff-amid-menu-price-increase?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 12:35:56 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore has long been a proven test bed for international food and beverage chains as a wealthy, brand-savvy market where new entrants can generate instant buzz – and just as quickly disappear for those who fail to cook up a storm. The first part of that pattern was on display this month, with long queues forming outside the first Asia outlet of US fast-food chain Chick-fil-A more than a week after it opened in the city state. The crowds reflect the initial pull of a well-known American brand,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3337125/singapores-unforgiving-food-scene-can-go-hot-and-cold-brands-what-keeps-them-coming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3337125/singapores-unforgiving-food-scene-can-go-hot-and-cold-brands-what-keeps-them-coming?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 05:30:08 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung Gloria Chung Wing-han is best known in Hong Kong’s culinary circles as an itinerant food writer-turned-stylist and the founder of Foodandtravelhk, the Instagram-based media brand from which she shares her globetrotting adventures in gastronomy. So it’s all the more unexpected that the Hong Kong-born barometer of good taste has chosen to locate her food styling Batcave, if you will, in a sleepy private housing estate in Tai Tong, on the outskirts of far-flung Yuen Long. For Chung, the studio – a... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3336219/how-hong-kong-food-stylist-gloria-chung-creates-festive-table-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3336219/how-hong-kong-food-stylist-gloria-chung-creates-festive-table-home?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:12 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun McDonald’s China arm has raised prices on most menu items, igniting a social media backlash as consumers grapple with job uncertainty and stagnant wages. Patrons discovered this week that prices for burgers, snacks and combos rose by up to 1 yuan (US$0.14). While modest, the increase drew attention because the chain’s budget combo has long been dubbed the “poor man’s meal” by frugal young adults. Some quipped online that “McDonald’s prices are rising, but my salary isn’t”, or that the popular... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336762/not-lovin-it-chinese-fume-mcdonalds-raised-prices-costlier-poor-mans-meal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336762/not-lovin-it-chinese-fume-mcdonalds-raised-prices-costlier-poor-mans-meal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:30:08 +0000 SCMP Reporter SCMP Reporter McDonald’s Hong Kong was voted Company of the Year at the 2025 Business Awards organised by SCMP Live, a highlight for the company as it marks half a century of operating in the city. The restaurant chain’s CEO Randy Lai and chairman Zhang Yichen received the award from SCMP’s CEO Catherine So during a lunch ceremony in Hong Kong on Friday. The toned-down ceremony replaced the black-tie gala dinners that traditionally capped the annual awards since their establishment in 1990, as a sign of... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3336270/mcdonalds-hong-kong-named-company-year-scmp-lives-business-awards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3336270/mcdonalds-hong-kong-named-company-year-scmp-lives-business-awards?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 01:30:19 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal McDonald’s sold a property in Kowloon for HK$72.4 million (US$9.3 million), as the Chicago-based fast-food giant reached HK$333 million in proceeds at the halfway point in a campaign to dispose of eight Hong Kong retail properties. A company called Mega Champ bought the property in the Tai Fong Building of Cosmopolitan Estate in Tai Kok Tsui in a transaction dated November 26, according to Land Registry records. The deal, which was registered on Friday, comprised two ground-floor shops as well... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3335642/mcdonalds-cooks-fat-profit-us93-million-hong-kong-property-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3335642/mcdonalds-cooks-fat-profit-us93-million-hong-kong-property-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Luigi Mangione watched stoically in court on Monday as prosecutors played surveillance videos showing the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York pavement last year and Mangione’s arrest five days later at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. The videos, including footage from the restaurant previously unseen by the press or the public, kicked off a hearing on Mangione’s fight to bar evidence from his state murder trial, including the gun prosecutors say matches the one used in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334822/luigi-mangione-fights-exclude-evidence-trial-murder-unitedhealthcare-ceo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334822/luigi-mangione-fights-exclude-evidence-trial-murder-unitedhealthcare-ceo?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 21:35:38 +0000 Cao Li Cao Li Two giant, furry Labubu balloons will debut next week at the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. A brown Labubu and a pink Mokoko, both part of the Labubu family, will be the lead features on Chinese toymaker Pop Mart International’s “Friendsgiving in Pop City” float on Thursday at the 99th parade. They will appear alongside characters such as Skullpanda, Dimoo and Molly. “Our goal at Pop Mart is to light up passion and bring joy, and Macy’s Parade has been doing that for nearly a... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3333654/pop-marts-labubu-balloons-debut-99th-macys-thanksgiving-parade-new-york?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3333654/pop-marts-labubu-balloons-debut-99th-macys-thanksgiving-parade-new-york?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 06:50:41 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. In world first, Chinese scientists find rare earth minerals from a living plant A Chinese-led team of scientists says it has found a naturally formed mineral with rare earth elements in a fern, a world first that offers a “green... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3332721/chinas-rare-earths-breakthrough-fujian-carriers-naval-genius-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3332721/chinas-rare-earths-breakthrough-fujian-carriers-naval-genius-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 04:30:11 +0000 John Cremer John Cremer In her fourteen years at the helm of McDonald’s Hong Kong, including eight as chief executive, Randy Lai has led the company through numerous changes; some of them carefully researched and planned, others caused by external circumstances, but all providing the opportunity to show genuine vision in creating a stronger organisation. Having marked the restaurant chain’s 50th anniversary in Hong Kong this year and with initiatives in place to drive growth and customer engagement, Lai’s philosophy is... https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/c-suite-game-changers/article/3332627/celebrating-success-and-charting-future-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/c-suite-game-changers/article/3332627/celebrating-success-and-charting-future-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 23:00:17 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li Two McDonald’s shops in Hong Kong have been sold to the same buyer for HK$183 million (US$23.5 million), marking the fast-food chain’s second and third sales this month as it proceeds with an asset-disposal plan amid an improving commercial property market. A 7,357 sq ft property in Mong Kok’s Good Hope Building was handed over to Verity Partners for HK$83.2 million, or HK$11,293 per square foot, on Friday, according to data from the Land Registry. A two-storey shop spanning 6,826 sq ft at 12... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3332236/mcdonalds-hong-kong-shops-sell-hotcakes-two-properties-go-us235-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3332236/mcdonalds-hong-kong-shops-sell-hotcakes-two-properties-go-us235-million?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 12:16:20 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Cyclist Ceci Lee Sze-wing has a weakness for cheesecake, while for rugby sevens star Cado Lee Ka-to it’s double cheeseburgers and sprinter Alton Kwok Chun-ting just loves a milkshake. Hong Kong’s elite athletes have to consume lots of the right foods – meat, vegetables and so much rice – when they are training or in competition, but when they can “cheat” for a day, the options are endless. And unlike tennis star Novak Djokovic, who famously limited himself to one square of chocolate as a treat... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3331911/national-games-hong-kong-athletes-reveal-their-diets-and-their-cheat-foods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3331911/national-games-hong-kong-athletes-reveal-their-diets-and-their-cheat-foods?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 00:00:13 +0000 Salina Li,Cheryl Arcibal Salina Li,Cheryl Arcibal McDonald’s Corp has sold a shop in Yuen Long via public tender for HK$77.4 million (US$9.9 million), the fast-food chain’s first since it announced an asset-disposal plan in July. The three-storey, 9,695 sq ft property in Yuen Long Trade Centre was handed over to the buyer, Acc Investment, on Monday, according to data from the Land Registry. McDonald’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The sale fetched the company more than eight times its investment of HK$9.3 million in... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3331517/mcdonalds-sells-first-hong-kong-property-us154-million-asset-disposal-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3331517/mcdonalds-sells-first-hong-kong-property-us154-million-asset-disposal-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 00:30:07 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong Hundreds of spectators gathered on both sides of Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour on Saturday to watch a “parade” involving giant inflatables of popular characters Labubu, Elmo, Grimace and Doraemon. The event wrapped up a week-long Water Parade organised by Hong Kong design studio AllRightsReserved (ARR), with the inflatables setting sail from Admiralty at 2pm towards Fortress Hill, and then across the harbour to Tsim Sha Tsui, before returning to Admiralty. Visitors eagerly snapped photos of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3331162/hundreds-flock-hong-kongs-water-parade-featuring-giant-labubu-doraemon-elmo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3331162/hundreds-flock-hong-kongs-water-parade-featuring-giant-labubu-doraemon-elmo?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Nov 2025 06:29:02 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong A fleet of giant inflatable cartoon characters is currently delighting spectators along Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour before setting sail across its waters in a grand parade this Saturday. With Doraemon and McDonald’s mascot Grimace among the popular characters set to feature in the “dream fleet”, the Post shares where to find the best vantage points for the parade. 1. What is the Water Parade? Water Parade by AllRightsReserved at Victoria Harbour is a public art event presented by local creative... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3330672/where-are-best-spots-see-hong-kongs-water-parade-post-has-answers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3330672/where-are-best-spots-see-hong-kongs-water-parade-post-has-answers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 02:00:13 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Fans of the popular characters Labubu, Elmo, Grimace and Doraemon flocked to see giant inflatables of the four in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour on the first day of a week-long show on Saturday, although some visitors said they had little interest in paying for entry to a viewing deck or in buying souvenirs. Residents and tourists visited the Central harbourfront to take pictures of the inflatable sculptures of the popular intellectual property (IP) characters. A market selling merchandise related... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3330322/giant-labubu-elmo-grimace-and-doraemon-floating-hong-kong-harbour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3330322/giant-labubu-elmo-grimace-and-doraemon-floating-hong-kong-harbour?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 12:26:07 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung Each considered an era-defining icon in their own right, four of the world’s most recognisable cartoon characters will be assembling, Avengers-style, against Hong Kong’s iconic skyline from October 25 to November 1. Organised by Hong Kong-based creative agency AllRightsReserved, the Water Parade at Victoria Harbour brings together colossal, floating, inflatable sculptures of timeless Japanese robot cat Doraemon, Sesame Street’s Elmo as reimagined by American pop artist KAWS, the McDonald’s... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3329384/giant-labubu-doraemon-elmo-and-grimace-are-coming-hong-kongs-harbour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3329384/giant-labubu-doraemon-elmo-and-grimace-are-coming-hong-kongs-harbour?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 10:15:08 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing The giant inflated yellow rubber ducks that visited Hong Kong twice over the past 12 years have joined a parade of intellectual property (IP) characters in Victoria Harbour. The Tolo Founding Duck made a return to the city on Saturday. One of the ducks was encased in an ita-bag stretching three metres (11.4 feet) high at the Ngong Ping 360 cable car attraction on Lantau Island. Visitors will have until November 2 to check out the display. The Japanese term ita-bag refers to bags displaying... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3327139/hong-kongs-favourite-big-duck-back-and-bringing-friends-waterfront-parade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3327139/hong-kongs-favourite-big-duck-back-and-bringing-friends-waterfront-parade?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 08:19:59 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung See this McDonald’s 50th Anniversary Exhibition In celebration of half a century since the opening of its first Hong Kong branch, in 1975, McDonald’s has painstakingly recreated the interiors of the restaurant as well as the road outside – Paterson Street, in Causeway Bay – as part of a short film starring Nicholas Tse Ting-fung. The film set will be open to the public from October 1 to 19 as part of a retrospective exhibition, allowing visitors to time travel back to their Happy Meal days,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3326989/what-do-hong-kong-september-28-october-4?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3326989/what-do-hong-kong-september-28-october-4?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 22:15:08 +0000 Cannix Yau Cannix Yau As Super Typhoon Ragasa pummelled Hong Kong on Wednesday, some brave restaurants kept their doors open for hungry Hongkongers. Despite the Hong Kong Observatory maintaining its highest-level No 10 warning in the morning for the year’s most powerful storm, before lowering it to No 8 at lunchtime, many residents braved gale-force winds and heavy downpours to get food and essentials. Fast food giant McDonald’s kept several of its stores open even during the peak of the typhoon, and its Tseung Kwan... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3326671/mcdonalds-cha-chaan-tengs-defy-ragasa-feed-hungry-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3326671/mcdonalds-cha-chaan-tengs-defy-ragasa-feed-hungry-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 08:18:03 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung Steven Bartlett may be only 33 years old, but the British entrepreneur has already accomplished more than many tycoons, having created a media and investment empire on the back of a chart-topping podcast. And on Sunday, September 28, Bartlett is set to share his hard-earned lessons with Hong Kong audiences on his “Business & Life Speaking Tour”. Born in Botswana to a Nigerian mother and an English father, and raised in Plymouth, southern England, Bartlett was determined from an early age to walk... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3326079/diary-ceo-podcast-host-steven-bartlett-hosting-business-speaking-tour-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3326079/diary-ceo-podcast-host-steven-bartlett-hosting-business-speaking-tour-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:15:08 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia’s most famous shopping centre edged closer to a damaging boycott after threatening to throw out a second group of pro-Palestinian protesters carrying flags, prompting calls for a mass gathering inside the plaza after Friday prayers. The management of Suria KLCC shopping arcade – at the bottom of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur – made headlines after a scuffle broke out on Sunday between security and pro-Palestinian supporters who entered the venue at the end of a rally. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325283/malaysias-top-mall-rolls-dice-flag-ban-over-gaza-protests-do-you-want-boycott?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325283/malaysias-top-mall-rolls-dice-flag-ban-over-gaza-protests-do-you-want-boycott?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 04:21:48 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang What insight does a flood of pizza orders to chains near the Pentagon give China about official American interest in its military parade? More than a slice, according to a Chinese social media account following the scent of melted cheese near the Department of Defence in Washington. Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV noted an apparent spike in pizza orders near the Pentagon during Beijing’s Victory Day parade. It released a video saying customer... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3324319/pizza-orders-spike-near-pentagon-time-beijing-military-parade-chinese-outlet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3324319/pizza-orders-spike-near-pentagon-time-beijing-military-parade-chinese-outlet?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 08:07:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Swiss food giant Nestle on Monday dismissed Laurent Freixe as chief executive with immediate effect over an “undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate”. The multinational behind Nespresso coffee capsules and KitKat chocolate bars said Freixe’s dismissal followed an investigation. In a swift move, Nespresso CEO Philipp Navratil was appointed to take over by his fellow board members. “The departure of Laurent Freixe follows an investigation into an undisclosed romantic... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323979/nestle-dismisses-ceo-over-office-relationship-subordinate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323979/nestle-dismisses-ceo-over-office-relationship-subordinate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 01:02:58 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Increased scrutiny of businesses in China that evade their social insurance obligations looks set to further boost the employment of retirees, prompting widespread concerns as a record number of university graduates tries to find work. It all came to a head recently when recruitment notices put out by the McDonald’s fast food chain, which has been employing retirees for years, sparked an emotional response on Chinese social media platforms. “The logic behind it is simple – hiring retirees means... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321995/will-retirees-be-job-market-winners-china-targets-social-insurance-dodgers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321995/will-retirees-be-job-market-winners-china-targets-social-insurance-dodgers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Aug 2025 08:00:14 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Despite only appearing in season one (and in occasional flashbacks for season two and three), Rachel Blanchard’s character, Susannah Fisher, remains a deeply important character in the third and final season of Amazon Prime’s hit show The Summer I Turned Pretty. Adapted from Jenny Han’s romance novel trilogy of the same name, The Summer I Turned Pretty is a messy but addictive story that follows the love triangle between Isabel “Belly” Conklin, and brothers Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. It’s... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3321732/meet-rachel-blanchard-who-plays-susannah-fisher-summer-i-turned-pretty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3321732/meet-rachel-blanchard-who-plays-susannah-fisher-summer-i-turned-pretty?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:00:23 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A promotional tie-up between McDonald’s and Pokemon in Japan had to be halted just hours after its launch after numerous reports of fights breaking out, food wastage and card scalping. The promotion, which was supposed to run from Saturday to Monday, offered two Pokemon trading cards – one standard Pikachu and one randomly chosen from five possible species – with each Happy Meal, according to news website Sora News 24. Previous collaborations between McDonald’s and Pokemon typically offered... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3321582/frenzied-mcdonalds-pokemon-promotion-japan-ends-chaos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3321582/frenzied-mcdonalds-pokemon-promotion-japan-ends-chaos?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 09:06:28 +0000 Lynn Zhang Lynn Zhang Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong have queued for Chiikawa toys that come with McDonald’s Happy Meals as part of a promotional tie-up between the fast food chain and an exhibition featuring the famous Japanese manga. Some 20,000 customers were in line on the McDonald’s reservation website at certain points on Monday after sales opened at 11am, and hundreds showed up at different outlets to queue for the special meal sets hours before they were made available. The promotion was related to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3319865/chiikawa-toy-craze-grips-hong-kong-thousands-queue-mcdonalds-promo-meals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3319865/chiikawa-toy-craze-grips-hong-kong-thousands-queue-mcdonalds-promo-meals?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 10:52:25 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal McDonald’s Corp is selling eight retail properties in Hong Kong with an estimated market value of HK$1.2 billion (US$153 million), giving investors a rare opportunity to own fully tenanted assets, as the world’s biggest fast-food chain reviews its real estate portfolio in the city. The Chicago-based group appointed JLL as the sole agent to find buyers for its assets in Tsim Sha Tsui, Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, Kennedy Town, Tai Kok Tsui, Yuen Long, Tsuen Wan and Tsz Wan Shan, according to a... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3319821/mcdonalds-seeks-us153-million-8-hong-kong-retail-properties-rare-asset-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3319821/mcdonalds-seeks-us153-million-8-hong-kong-retail-properties-rare-asset-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 07:20:40 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa The Don Don Donki store in Causeway Bay is buzzing as always, and the Kuromi shelf is already picked clean. Joyce C stares at the empty space and sighs. Around her, shoppers scoop up other Sanrio items: Hello Kitty erasers, My Melody hair clips, Cinnamoroll stickers. “Whenever I go to Donki to buy Kuromi merch, it’s always sold out,” she says, half-exasperated, half-amused. The 22-year-old has been steadily building her Kuromi collection since she started working, but her attachment to the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3319390/discreet-charm-sanrios-hello-kitty-unleashes-power-cute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3319390/discreet-charm-sanrios-hello-kitty-unleashes-power-cute?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Jul 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Harvey Kong,Ng Kang-chung Harvey Kong,Ng Kang-chung While the hurricane-force winds and torrential rains of Typhoon Wipha battered Hong Kong on Sunday, some continued to work, and many restaurants remained open, supported by limited rail services. Among the restaurants that operated as usual was Chung Kee congee shop in Whampoa, as the operator said it did not expect the typhoon would escalate to a No 10 level. “Originally, we thought it would be just a No 8 typhoon signal. We are close to an MTR station, so we thought we would open and see what... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3318918/hong-kong-businesses-and-workers-weather-storm-typhoon-wiphas-fury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3318918/hong-kong-businesses-and-workers-weather-storm-typhoon-wiphas-fury?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 13:03:59 +0000 Joshua Kwok Joshua Kwok Hong Kong consumers can expect to enjoy deals and discounts at more than 8,800 stores and restaurants as part of celebrations to commemorate the 28th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule on July 1, amid a sluggish economy. The Hong Kong Catering Industry Association said more than 3,800 food and beverage establishments would provide discounts on the occasion, while the city’s Retail Management Association said 5,000 stores would launch a two-month shopping festival on the same... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3316109/hungry-savings-hong-kong-restaurants-shops-offer-july-1-anniversary-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3316109/hungry-savings-hong-kong-restaurants-shops-offer-july-1-anniversary-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 09:16:43 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au About 50,000 elderly Hong Kong residents will receive coupons in July and October, enabling them to purchase breakfast or afternoon tea for HK$15 (US$2) as part of a government-funded initiative. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han announced on Friday that participants would receive six coupons next month, which could be used to buy breakfast at a discounted price of HK$15 at branches of six restaurant groups: Fairwood, Cafe de Coral, Tai Hing, Maxim’s, McDonald’s and Ngan Lung... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3316063/hk15-meals-50000-elderly-hong-kong-residents-coupon-initiative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3316063/hk15-meals-50000-elderly-hong-kong-residents-coupon-initiative?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 06:11:52 +0000 Denise Tsang Denise Tsang An exhibition centred on the hugely popular Japanese manga series Chiikawa will be held in Hong Kong this summer, with the event to include eight localised characters created in the form of dim sum such as har gow and siu mai as part of the city’s latest efforts to cash in on the intellectual property economy. The exhibition’s organiser, Hong Kong design studio AllRightsReserved, will sell tickets and distribute free ones for the three-week “Chiikawa Days” show in August. The show will have... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3315700/japanese-manga-chiikawa-exhibition-be-held-hong-kong-august?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3315700/japanese-manga-chiikawa-exhibition-be-held-hong-kong-august?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2025 03:00:09 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong Food delivery in Hong Kong has reached a new height as a major provider has started to use drones to send out orders, cutting the waiting time by 35 minutes. The service, provided by Keeta Drone, a subsidiary of mainland Chinese food delivery giant Meituan, delivers orders from two fast-food restaurants in Science Park to a landing zone on Ma On Shan Promenade. The operator said it was planning to expand the service to other locations in the new town using the company’s automatic kiosk... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3313404/hong-kongs-food-delivery-scene-soars-drone-services-ma-shan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3313404/hong-kongs-food-delivery-scene-soars-drone-services-ma-shan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jun 2025 12:41:13 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal,Salina Li Cheryl Arcibal,Salina Li McDonald’s flagship store in Hong Kong is close to claiming the crown as the busiest in the fast-food chain’s global network of more than 40,000 outlets, a capstone in a half-century of operating in the city. The 9,000 sq ft (836 square metre) Admiralty Centre store, which reopened for business last month after a three-week renovation, serves more than 1,000 customers an hour during peak periods, putting it on a trajectory to surpass the chain’s outlet in the concourse of London’s Liverpool... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3312750/hong-kong-mcdonalds-refurbished-outlet-poised-surpass-london-branch-worlds-busiest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3312750/hong-kong-mcdonalds-refurbished-outlet-poised-surpass-london-branch-worlds-busiest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jun 2025 02:00:13 +0000 Chandran Nair Chandran Nair In early May, as Roman Catholic cardinals convened for their conclave, US President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as the pope. Shortly afterwards, he declared that he would like to become a pontiff. Reactions from around the globe were swift, though not everyone was shocked. After all, this was American crassness at its finest – a spectacle the world has grown accustomed to. Trump is neither the first nor the only US figure to inure the world to such behaviour; there is a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3312520/why-us-exceptionalism-and-export-crassness-finally-losing-its-shallow-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3312520/why-us-exceptionalism-and-export-crassness-finally-losing-its-shallow-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 May 2025 04:00:16 +0000 Steve Williams Steve Williams Philanthropist and social entrepreneur Brian Yip’s passion for making a difference started early. Very early. Like, age five early. “My earliest memory is helping out at a book fair,” says Yip, founder of charitable platforms 1000 Suns and YouthCORE. “Back then my mum instilled in me the importance of service and being involved in my community,” taking him along to recycling events, helping pack food for homeless people and visiting elderly people living in cage homes. “As I got older, it taught... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3311531/meet-teenage-philanthropist-behind-1000-suns-and-youthcore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3311531/meet-teenage-philanthropist-behind-1000-suns-and-youthcore?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 May 2025 00:00:10 +0000