The iconic Gold Garden Cafe in Cheung Sha Wan announced on social media that its branch will close mid-October due to its lease expiry, becoming one of the restaurants affected by the ongoing wave of closure in Hong Kong’s catering scene.
The Gold Garden Cafe, which has been in business for over 25 years, posted on its Facebook last Friday that its branch at 316 Castle Peak Road will cease operations at 5pm on October 15 due to lease expiry. Meanwhile, its main branch at 314 on the same road will continue to operate.
Originally opened at 314 Castle Peak Road, the Gold Garden Cafe started as a traditional ice house, serving local delicacies such as macaroni soup, set meals and fried spaghetti, along with a bakery offering egg tarts and bread.
Over the years, the business flourished, expanding to two shops with the new location at 316 Castle Peak Road focusing on small plates and rice dishes.
The restaurant’s signature flaky egg tarts are famous for their over 100 layers of pastry, offering a crisp and flaky exterior paired with a smooth and fluffy filling – a favorite among locals and tourists. Other popular dishes include satay beef noodles and stir-fried black pepper spaghetti.
The restaurant's signature egg tarts
Ng, the owner of Gold Garden Cafe, took over the restaurant a decade ago.
The closure of its branch has left the owner, surnamed Ng, feeling he had no choice. Though not the original founder, he took over the restaurant from the previous owner over a decade ago, aiming to maintain food quality by keeping the original kitchen staff.
He explained that despite the challenging economy, the new location, which has been open for four and a half years, has not turned a profit and its performance has not met expectations, even falling short of the main shop’s success.
With worsening market conditions and staff changes, operations became more difficult. “Last month, the chiefs informed me they wanted to leave and open their own place. It’s tough to find a new replacement quickly, so it seemed best to close the new branch,” he said.
Expressing his disappointments, Ng noted that there was no initial plan to close the branch. However, with the sudden departure of staff, he felt it was better to focus on the main store.
Ng said that regular customers understand the reasons behind the branch’s closure. Although dishes served at the branch will be temporarily unavailable, Ng is committed to finding a larger space to accommodate more diners in the future.
