Restaurants brace for quieter Father's Day

Restaurants on Sunday said they anticipate less business on Father's Day, due to there being fewer customers and rising costs.

Some residents celebrated the day at restaurants with their husbands or fathers.

One of them was Lo, who was eating out with his family. He said there were fewer customers compared to past years.

Lo said he expected to spend about HK$2,000 for the day, adding that he had prepared a football-related gift for his dad.

Meanwhile, a restaurant owner said sales were slower than last year because Father's Day came soon after Tuen Ng Festival.

"Because of the long holiday weekend, we are seeing less customers. Yesterday's business was down by nearly 30 percent compared to last year. Looking at today’s progress, it seems it will be about 20 percent lower than last year," he said.

"The overall sentiment is currently quite weak, with people travelling abroad, heading to the mainland, and dealing with a sluggish economy. This has made us much more cautious, so we are keeping our pricing relatively conservative."

He noted that costs, especially for seafood, have risen significantly, and that spending per person has been similar to last year, which is around HK$100 to HK$110 for lunch and about HK$400 for dinner.

Earlier on Sunday, Chief Executive John Lee posted on social media a picture of a cake with the words "Happy Father's Day" written on it.

Lee also expressed gratitude for his family's love and support despite his demanding schedule.

Edited by Aaron Tam ...