Yuen Fat Cafe becomes latest old school eatery to close in Hong Kong

Yuen Fat Cafe has become the latest old school eatery to close in Hong Kong. 

The cha chaan teng, which has been a fixture along Ki Lung Street in Prince Edward for more than 50 years, announced this morning that it will shutter its doors at the end of October. 

“ ‘No party lasts forever,’ our cafe has operated for more than 50 years,” the cafe wrote on its Facebook page. 

It added that while it has overcome many challenges, including the Asian financial crisis that began in 1997, the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003, the social movement in 2019 and 2020, and the current [Covid-19] pandemic, it has not been able to overcome the difficulty of its landlord’s decision to no longer rent the unit out to the eatery. 

“We have no choice but to say goodbye to everyone at the end of October,” the cha chaan teng said. 

“You have watched us grow, and we have watched your second and third generations grow. There are also a lot of young people coming in recent years, adding a lot of youthful atmosphere to [our cafe].”

It said that it will miss its customers and thanked them for the support over the years. 

The Facebook post was met with many lamenting the loss of the iconic cafe and sharing their memories of eating at the cha chaan teng. 

“I will really miss you,” said one Facebook user.

“Thank you for giving me an iced lemon tea that has almost a full lemon and is slightly sweet and a human touch that I will never forget! I’ve eaten here for more than 10 years and am used to hanging out here every day,” another added. 

Yuen Fat Cafe is the latest eatery with a long history to close in Hong Kong.

In the past few months, Hongkongers had to bid farewell to popular dai pai dong Tung Po Kitchen, old style dim sum restaurant Lin Heung Tea House and the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, which shuttered for reasons including a tough financial situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and violations of a lease agreement.