When the Hong Kong government announced its food truck pilot scheme in December, secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So said applicants with “style and creativity” would take the cake, so to speak.
With applications now being accepted, candidate and British-style fish and chip shop owner Fran Chan is hoping her “secret weapon”, deep fried Oreos, will tip the scales in her favour.
According to Oriental Daily, Chan was originally planning on relocating her restaurant Chip In Fish & Chips from Kowloon City to her father’s Sham Shui Po shop space when her lease expired, but gave the space up for Brother Ming, the restaurateur whose efforts to feed the needy made headlines last month.
Instead, Chan is now pinning her hopes on becoming a “guinea pig” for the government’s food truck initiative. According to the most recent government press release, two food truck spaces will be offered at each of the eight allotted tourist hotspots including the Central Harbourfront, Ocean Park, and Wong Tai Sin.
In reference to criticism that start-up costs for a food truck were estimated to be around HKD600,000, Chan said “opening a new restaurant would cost more than that”. In addition, successful applicants for the pilot scheme can apply for a government loan of HKD300,000 to get their businesses up and running.
The batter-loving chef hopes to woo the scheme’s selection panel with her blend of fish and chips, deep fried Oreos, and traditional Chinese cuisine. However, it seems that Chan is just as soft-centred as the cookies she sells; the chippy proprietor has pledged to hire disadvantaged jobseekers like the mentally disabled and rehabilitated offenders if her application is successful.
Chan has reportedly made a habit of hiring disabled staff in her restaurant, saying the routine of deep-frying food is easily grasped by people with learning disabilities. “The disabled don’t have many options, but society just needs to give them a chance,” she said.
Bless. You’re going to give us a cavity, Fran Chan!
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