This week, Hong Kong has seemed to have had its cafes, restaurants, and bars bounce back with a solid amount of patronage. Browsing through posts on Instagram, we’ve noticed that some places even have little to no social distancing policies after the government relaxed mandatory policies last week. Time will tell if this is the way that the food and beverage industry can move forward with similar methodologies to what has worked in the past, since HK seems to have successfully navigated multiple waves of the virus and — as of this writing — has managed to enter its second week with zero new infections recorded. Though it should still be noted that the industry as a whole is still struggling after facing one of its most challenging years ever due to the combined impact of covid-19 and pro-democracy protests across the region, it’s good to see the industry pulling themselves up out of the economic slump.
But the more cautious establishments have still been taking extra steps despite the loosening of government regulation. This photo (taken in Q3 2019) is from Yardbird in Sheung Wan, which probably has one of the greatest restaurant vibes in the entire world. It’s an asset that they are very much aware of and cultivate nightly. Responding to the pandemic, they quickly erected plexi-glass dividers between dining booths and implemented policies such as full wipe-downs to sanitize every 30 minutes, and disposable storage bags placed on the table, for guests to put their masks into for safekeeping while dining. The theory is that the mask itself is contaminated, and attention should be paid as to how and where it is placed while inside the establishment. With the electric vibe being one of Yardbird’s foremost assets, it’s good to hear that they’ve managed to maintain that energy while implementing the necessary changes. By going the extra mile, Yardbird is proving that they are worthy of what trust diners have given them over the years.
