Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng Pioneer Returns With Nine Branches
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
Cheung Heung Yuen, described as one of the pioneers of Hong Kong-style tea restaurants, has re-emerged after the original Sai Wan shop closed in 2022. Since reopening in Wan Chai in 2023, the brand has grown to nine branches while keeping signature baked items and adding sports- and pop-culture-themed collaborations to broaden its appeal.
Key Points
- The original Cheung Heung Tea Restaurant in Sai Wan shut in 2022 after second-generation operator Mr Chow retired, with his children having emigrated to Britain.
- Restaurant director Leung Kin-lung (梁健龍) took over the old brand, reopened first in Wan Chai in 2023, and has since expanded to areas including Lam Tin, Shau Kei Wan and Ngau Tau Kok.
- Leung said rents from 2023 to 2025 were the cheapest he had seen in 10 to 20 years, especially in second- and third-tier locations, cutting opening costs sharply.
- The chain now has nine branches and keeps staples such as lotus-seed-paste cocktail buns, puff pastry egg tarts and pineapple buns, while adding more rice and noodle set meals.
- Newer outlets are tailored to local audiences, including a cycling-themed Kai Tak Sports Park branch and a Causeway Bay Morton Terrace branch aimed at runners, alongside collaborations with local comic series Sea Tiger.
Why It Matters
The revival shows how a legacy Hong Kong food brand can use a softer rental market and lighter-footprint expansion to return quickly without relying only on nostalgia. It also suggests cha chaan teng operators are increasingly trying to turn outlets into community gathering points for runners, cyclists and pop-culture fans, not just places to eat.