One of the oldest McDonald’s in Hong Kong, the fast food chain’s outlet at Yue Man Square, has closed down for good after 36 years serving the Kwun Tong neighborhood.
Under the government’s redevelopment plan, shops and buildings in Yue Man Square have been slowly forced out of the area since 2014.
Hundreds were seen packed in the eatery last night while many more were rushing along Tung Yan Street towards where they called the “Old Mac”, as the clock was ticking for the end of the “good old days”.
“The ‘Old Mac’ grew up with me! We’re the same age!” a customer identified only by his surname Tong, told Oriental Daily. He said he used to spend hours here in the McDonald’s with his classmates and friends after school. “It’s the memories it has given us, that’s what’s sad about it,” Tong added.
At least 300 customers were still waiting in the line for their “farewell dinner” when the clock struck 8pm — the scheduled closing time of “Old Mac”. Many of them were taking pictures of the interior of the restaurant, which will eventually torn down by the Urban Renewal Authority.
Apple Daily reporters spotted former legislative Councillor Fred Li at the shop on its final day of business. He said he came to buy his last box of Chicken McNuggets to take home to share with his wife. Li, who used to work as a social worker in Kwun Tong before becoming a politician, said the McDonald’s store was one of his favorite meeting places with youngsters.
Many customers at the old store last night said they were there to revisit their unique memories. Couples returned to relive the days before they were married, another man came to fulfill a promise he made when he was little to treat a friend a McDonald’s meal, according to HK01.
As “Old Mac” rolled down its gate for the last time, Yue Man Square, once the heart of Kwun Tong, took another step closer to its new face.
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