Century-old Wan Chai landmark faces another restaurant turnover

Wan Chai’s century-old Woo Cheong Pawn Shop has returned to the spotlight after netizens reported that the remaining restaurants inside the historic landmark had closed, reigniting debate over the future use of the revitalized building.

A Facebook user recently posted photos of the Johnston Road landmark, saying all three floors appeared to have ceased operations at the same time.

The post quickly drew discussion online, with some users lamenting the difficult business environment and others joking that the building might fare better if it returned to its original trade as a pawnshop.

Located at 60-66 Johnston Road, Woo Cheong Pawn Shop comprises four adjoining pre-war tenement buildings with a continuous verandah facade. Parts of the Grade 2 historic building date back to around 1888, according to the Urban Renewal Authority.

The premises were preserved and revitalized as part of the URA’s Johnston Road redevelopment project before becoming home to a succession of restaurants and bars.

But its food and beverage tenants have changed repeatedly in recent years.

British gastropub The Pawn closed in 2021, while its successor, Woo Cheong Tea House, ceased operations in October 2023 after around two years. The historic building was then taken over in 2024 by the Sophia Loren restaurant brand, co-founded by Oscar-winning Italian actress Sophia Loren and entrepreneur Luciano Cimmino.

The Hong Kong venue, the brand’s first overseas location, originally occupied several floors of the building with a ground-floor pizzeria, upscale Italian restaurant Casa Sophia Loren, The Stage music bar and a rooftop lounge.

The first sign of trouble came earlier this year when Casa Sophia Loren announced it would close after its final service on February 15, citing rising costs and operating challenges. At the time, the operator said the ground-floor pizzeria and The Stage would continue operating as resources were refocused on the remaining businesses.

The brand sought to quash further closure speculation in May, posting on social media that it was “not going anywhere” and telling customers not to believe the rumors.

However, the latest online discussion has again cast uncertainty over the venue, with netizens saying the remaining outlets appeared to have shut. Some restaurant listings now mark Casa Sophia Loren and The Stage as closed, although listings for the ground-floor pizzeria have not been consistent across platforms.

The apparent closures prompted netizens to debate whether high-end dining remains a suitable model for the heritage site.

Some suggested that a traditional Chinese teahouse or dim sum restaurant could be a better fit than another Western restaurant, while others proposed turning the building into an exhibition venue, market or community space.

One commenter said expensive dining was no longer viable in the current market, while another jokingly suggested that Woo Cheong should simply “go back to being a pawnshop,” given its history and the economic climate.

Others offered more unconventional ideas, including converting the century-old building into a haunted house or escape room.

For now, the latest turnover has once again raised a familiar question for the landmark: how best to give a historic building new life while finding a use that can survive the city’s changing commercial landscape.
 

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