The end of an era – Hui Lau Shan to close its doors this month

Hui Lau Shan's last store in Hong Kong will close at the end of this month, putting an end to the six-decade-old dessert empire famous for its fresh mango sago.  

The last franchise store in Yau Tong will be operating until the end of November, it was announced.  

In the early 1960s, the company's founder Hui Chi-Yuk followed in the footsteps of his late father, Hui Lau-Shan, and started selling traditional herbal jelly and herbal tea by traditional trolley in Yuen Long, Hong Kong. 

In the 1970s, Hui Lau Shan launched the first specialized herbal tea store in Yuen Long. Innovation started in the 80s when the store started selling classic desserts and snacks like red bean jelly, pan-fried radish cake, and coconut milk.  

In 1992, Hui Lau Shan invented a new recipe of "Mango Sago" which became an instant hit in the city.  

The brand continued its expansion in the following years and became a must-go fresh fruit dessert store for tourists coming to Hong Kong. There were once over 300 branches in Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China, and Malaysia.  

Food lovers will remember the chain's trademark offerings, including chewy mango ball and mango sago coconut milk.  

With over-expansion and the pandemic affecting tourism and the catering industry, the chain has become embroiled in court cases over its debts. High Court handed down an order on May 26 of this year to wind up Hui Lau Shan Food Manufacturing Co.