Iconic Garden Restaurant Kwun Tong Branch Suspends Operations After Unpaid Rent Lawsuit
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Garden Restaurant (花園餐廳), a historic Hong Kong-style Western restaurant chain established in 1963, has temporarily closed its Kwun Tong branch after being sued by the landlord for unpaid rent. The High Court claim totals over HK$2.07 million. This follows the May 2026 closure of its Mong Kok outlet and reflects broader challenges facing traditional Hong Kong Western restaurants. Netizens have largely criticized the restaurant's declining standards.
Key Points
- Garden Restaurant's Kwun Tong branch on Hing Ning Road posted a "temporarily closed" notice, with food review platform OpenRice marking it as permanently closed
- The landlord, Holiday Rise Limited (慶立有限公司), filed a High Court claim seeking approximately HK$2.075 million in unpaid rent and interest
- The three-year lease began in August 2025 at HK$190,000 monthly rent, reduced to HK$98,000 from December 2025 under a supplementary agreement
- The branch defaulted on rent from November 2025, paid only HK$200,000 in March 2026, and failed to meet a July 18, 2026 deadline for HK$392,000
- The chain now operates only four branches: Mong Kok Bank Centre, Prince Edward, North Point, and Sai Wan, down from over 10 at its peak
- The Mong Kok branch on Sham Tung Street closed in May 2026 after its lease expired
- Negative online reviews cite reduced portion sizes, inconsistent meat doneness, cold soup, and poor service as reasons for declining patronage
Why It Matters
The temporary closure of the Kwun Tong branch highlights the struggles of traditional Hong Kong-style Western restaurants as consumer preferences evolve and operating costs rise. As one of the last remaining "soy sauce Western food" establishments, Garden Restaurant's contraction marks the gradual disappearance of a culinary culture that defined a generation of Hong Kong dining experiences.
The temporary closure of the Kwun Tong branch highlights the struggles of traditional Hong Kong-style Western restaurants as consumer preferences evolve and operating costs rise. As one of the last remaining "soy sauce Western food" establishments, Garden Restaurant's contraction marks the gradual disappearance of a culinary culture that defined a generation of Hong Kong dining experiences.