Hong Kong restaurants eye 20% business boost as 1,000 win in dog-friendly licence ballot

Pet-friendly caterers in Hong Kong say a new licence allowing dogs in restaurants from July could lift business by up to 20 per cent, after 1,000 operators secured places in the scheme’s first ballot.

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department on Friday held a ballot to select 1,000 restaurants, after receiving 1,615 eligible applications since submissions opened last month.

Lawmaker Chan Hoi-yan, chairman of the Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene, officiated the draw in front of dozens of members of the public, including eager applicants hoping to find out whether they had made the cut.

Aki Chan, co-owner of Uluru Cafe in Wan Chai and one of the successful applicants, said he expected business to increase by 15 to 20 per cent once the scheme was launched.

“Business will improve especially on Saturdays and Sundays, because dog owners often do not leave Hong Kong and tend to patronise local businesses,” he said.

Chan said the competition was stiffer than expected and that they would have been disappointed had they lost the ballot.

His cafe was penalised last year for allowing pets and risked a seven-day suspension if it reoffended, forcing it to turn away diners with pets.

“With the new licence, we are hoping business will recover to previous levels,” he said.