Kowloon City’s iconic Thai restaurant, Wong Chun Chun, said business has improved by about 10 percent since the Kai Tak Sports Park partially opened in March and called for staying upbeat despite the sluggish food and beverage market.
The restaurant earlier renewed its lease for a massive 12,000-square-foot space, committing to a 10-year term with phased rent increases, as the local F&B sector faces mounting pressure and rising closures.
In an interview with Sing Tao Daily, sister newspaper of The Standard, owner Mrs Poon said she is betting on the long-term prospects of the Kai Tak redevelopment and nearby infrastructure growth.
While Kowloon City’s local dining scene is saturated, she sees potential from visitors drawn by events at the new venue.
Wong Chun Chun Thai restaurant’s location spans the basement, ground and first floors of the Bel Shine Centre on Nga Tsin Wai Road.
Monthly rents for the next decade range from HK$410,000 to HK$460,000, reflecting a modest 3–7 percent overall increase.
“No matter if the (food and beverage) industry is good or bad, we keep going,” Mrs Poon said. “The most profitable days may be behind us, but there’s still business to be done.”
She admitted the restaurant renewed the lease at roughly 80 percent of its previous rate but declined to confirm details, saying only, “We deserve to be rewarded.”
Founded by a Thai immigrant in the 1980s, the restaurant began in the old Kowloon Walled City before expanding to multiple sites.
Mrs Poon, originally a co-investor, took over after the founder returned to Thailand. The area’s transformation into a Thai food hub was partly driven by Wong Chun Chun’s early success.
Mrs Poon said she also witnessed multiple downturns. For example, the relocation of Kai Tak Airport in 1997 cut business by 80 percent overnight.
Still, she remains resolute: “We must believe that people can overcome fate. I tell myself to always speak positively.”
STAFF REPORTER
