HK restaurants welcome four-legged friends

Dog lovers can finally dine out with their four-legged companions on Thursday, when a decades-old ban on canines in restaurants came to an end.

More than 940 restaurants and cafés have completed the necessary licensing procedures to become dog-friendly. Among them are several major restaurant chains, including select branches of Café de Coral and McDonald’s.

According to official data, Wan Chai boasts the highest concentration of approved establishments, while the North District has the fewest participating venues.

At one approved café in Hung Hom, the new rules are already visibly in effect. A large poster issued by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) greeted customers at the entrance, and a dedicated trash bin was in placed outside for the disposal of dog waste.

Inside, the café has sectioned off a pet area at the back, complete with pee pads and wet wipes for added convenience.

Fong, the owner of Badgers Cafe, said her team has taken extra steps to ensure a smooth transition, which includes bringing in an additional staff member to help manage the new seating arrangements.

Calling the new arrangement a triple win for restaurants, owners and their four-legged friends, Fong is optimistic about its commercial impact.

She predicts the policy could boost her business by 30 to 50 percent.

"Many people like to go to the mainland on the weekends, but if we let customers know that they can now bring their dogs [to restaurants], they might choose to stay in Hong Kong for one or two weekends each month," she said.

"They might take their dogs to licensed restaurants to eat together, which might help the economy a bit."

To support businesses adapting to the change, the FEHD has deployed designated officers to visit each approved restaurant individually to help operators swiftly adapt to the new measures.

In addition, the department has assembled a dedicated 90-person task force to ramp up inspections during this initial adaptation period.

The team will assist the trade in navigating the relevant regulations and address operational queries, reinforcing compliance while the new policy takes effect.

Edited by Aaron Tam ...