How are Hong Kong restaurants faring 1 month into the dog-friendly scheme?

How are Hong Kong restaurants faring 1 month into the dog-friendly scheme? Scheme has stoked controversy online but situation on the ground is not as bad, one industry expert says Restaurateur Ken Chu Ka-chun recorded a 20 per cent boost in business at one of his restaurants at Kai Tak Sports Park over the past month, thanks to pet owners dining in under a government scheme allowing dogs into nearly 1,000 Hong Kong establishments since July 9. “We saw more dog owners coming in because people frequently walk their dogs around here,” said Chu, owner of Asura group, which has two restaurants with pet-friendly licences. The restaurant has separate seating areas for diners with pets and conducts a thorough cleaning after every round. Staff also kept an extra eye out for any violations, he said. Chu has been a vocal proponent of the pet-friendly policy online, sharing his insights into restaurant management, defending service workers, and calling for better mutual respect between customers and businesses. But his outspoken stance on social media also drew ire from critics of the policy and made him the target of what he described as malicious attacks on his restaurant. A Threads user replied to his post about his pet-friendly outlets: “Thank you for putting yourself out there; it makes it even more convenient for me to make complaints.” The comment reflected the wider social divide between pet-lovers and opponents of the scheme, as more than 900 licensed restaurants navigated how to adhere to official guidelines while striking a balance between different customer needs in the first month.