Hong Kong urged to export food culture as Cantonese restaurants hit 27.9% slump
Cantonese restaurant earnings dropped HK$3.7B in 8 years while foreign cuisines surged 10.9%.
Hong Kong’s Cantonese restaurant sector is facing its steepest downturn in years, with first-quarter earnings tumbling 27.9% compared to the same period in 2018. According to Legislative Council Secretariat data released this month, revenue fell from HK$13.44 billion (US$1.7 billion) to just HK$9.7 billion. The sharp contraction contrasts sharply with a 10.9% rise in non-Chinese restaurant receipts over the same timeframe. Industry leaders and lawmakers now argue that the city must aggressively export its food culture to survive.
Catering sector lawmaker Jonathan Leung Chun said Hong Kong is falling behind international competitors like South Korea, which has made cuisine a central pillar of its economic strategy. He warned that without innovation, Cantonese restaurants will continue losing market share to both foreign cuisines at home and rival food cultures abroad. Leung pointed out that Shanghai and South Korea already have dedicated food streets promoting specific cuisines, a move Hong Kong has yet to adopt. "If our Guangdong-style restaurants do not innovate, the market will continue to shrink," Leung said, calling for urgent policy support and promotional investment.
- Chinese restaurant revenue dropped 27.9% to HK$9.7B in Q1 2026 from HK$13.44B in 2018
- Non-Chinese dining receipts rose 10.9% over the same period
- Lawmaker Jonathan Leung says Hong Kong lags South Korea in treating cuisine as an economic asset
Why It Matters
Declining Cantonese restaurant revenue threatens Hong Kong’s culinary heritage and tourism appeal without urgent cultural export strategy.