Protest-linked eatery shuttered

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has decided to prosecute nine people for operating unlicensed restaurants in one building that houses famous rice noodle shop Kwong Wing Mixian, which has been ordered to shut down.

The restaurant, which become famous for supporting the 2019 protests, allegedly operated without a license at Camel Paint Building in Kwun Tong.

Kwong Wing Mixian was last month ordered to close down for breaching its land lease after operating for half a year at Camel Paint Building block three.

FEHD said Kwong Wing Mixian does not hold a valid license and received 14 complaints, and that it has prosecuted its operator six times.

"There are 60 premises holding a valid license, including five factory canteens, 53 food manufacturing factories, one frozen confection factory and one fresh provision shop," a spokesman said.

"Officers visit the building regularly to combat restaurants that are operating without a license."

Officers have visited the building over 360 times and have prosecuted operators of restaurants without a license 38 times since last year, he added.

After inspections, the spokesman said that they have decided to prosecute nine operators of unlicensed restaurants in the building.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said the Lands Department was enforcing the law.

"The building can only be used for industrial and storage purposes. They have breached the uses specified in the land lease. According to my understanding, other restaurants who have also breached the uses specified in the land lease will start to receive a notice of enforcement action from the department," Linn said.

However, at least 12 restaurants are said to still be open for business in the building. But according to the FEHD's website only two licensed factory canteens are located in the building.

A shop operator selling specialty goods from the mainland's Chaoshan area confirmed that officers from the department visited the building. She hoped authorities would relax the standard for a restaurant license so that other shops like hers could do business.

Some customers said they would feel upset if eateries are closed in the building.

"It is no different from forcing people to dine in restaurant chains in shopping malls," a local man, Lai, said. Another man, Tai, said many of the restaurants in the building are small shops and often sell meal boxes for HK$40 to HK$50.

Institution of Dining Professionals honorary president Simon Wong Kit-lung told The Standard that licensed factory canteens can operate in factory buildings, but that does not mean all restaurants can successfully apply for one.

"Factory canteens cannot serve people that do not work in the factories in the building, and they cannot advertise and have signages. The FEHD will also take into consideration the number of people working in the building before issuing a factory canteen license," Wong said.

He said the department was lenient a few years ago, but has become stringent after receiving complaints from the catering sector.

Some of the restaurants will use all sorts of excuses to operate without a license, Wong noted, like saying that their kitchen is for learning purposes.

"But the catering sector has already been saying that it is unfair competition between these unlicensed restaurants and restaurants that obtained all the licenses, especially during the pandemic," Wong added.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com