The closure of Super Star Seafood Restaurant highlights the challenging economic landscape facing Hong Kong’s restaurant industry, revealing the human impact of business struggles in a competitive market. Founded in 1989, the restaurant group once boasted an impressive 16 branches across the city, but has now been reduced to a single location at the MOKO shopping center—which has now also shuttered its doors.

The restaurant’s final branch closure stems from a complex web of economic challenges, including prohibitively high rents, a weakening local consumer market, and significant shifts in tourist consumption patterns. Despite the management’s efforts to negotiate rent adjustments with landlords, they were unable to reach a mutually agreeable solution, ultimately forcing the restaurant to cease operations.

The most immediate and painful consequence of this closure falls on the restaurant’s approximately 50 employees, who now face a precarious financial situation. These workers are confronting one and a half months of unpaid salary from two months prior, along with unused annual leave and payment in lieu of notice. The financial impact is substantial, with total unpaid wages estimated at HK$2 million.

Labor unions, including the Eating Establishment Employees General Union and the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions, have stepped in to support the affected workers. They’ve noted that 15 employees have sufficient tenure to qualify for severance payments, providing a potential lifeline for some staff members.

Adding to the workers’ uncertainty, questions have emerged about the company’s Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) contributions. Employees are unsure whether the company has been consistently making these mandatory retirement contributions. In response, they have filed a report with the Labour Relations Division office in Mong Kok to assess the company’s financial capacity to make payments.

The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) has confirmed that the Super Star Group had previously defaulted on MPF contributions. On May 12, the group paid approximately HK$500,000 in outstanding contributions and surcharges for 220 employees covering February 2025, with the MPFA currently verifying this payment.

Super Star Seafood’s closure is not an isolated incident but part of a broader trend affecting Hong Kong’s restaurant industry. Another local establishment, Four Point Gold Restaurant in Tseung Kwan O, recently announced a similar sudden closure, citing an inability to adapt to current market conditions. These closures underscore the significant economic pressures facing local businesses, particularly in the food service sector.

The situation reflects the complex challenges of operating a restaurant in Hong Kong’s competitive and expensive market. High operational costs, changing consumer preferences, and economic uncertainties are creating a difficult environment for long-standing local businesses.

For the affected workers, the road ahead remains uncertain. They may need to explore options such as applying to the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund if the company cannot meet its financial obligations. The sudden nature of the closure—with employees only being notified late the previous night—adds an additional layer of stress to an already challenging situation.

As the Super Star Group’s final branch closes, it serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing economic transformations in Hong Kong’s restaurant industry, where even well-established businesses can struggle to maintain their footing in a rapidly changing market.