Wan Chai bar owners optimistic of Hong Kong Sevens business bump, but ‘not a boom’ in year ‘unlike any other’
- Wan Chai and Lan Kwai Fong nightlife districts typically benefit from Sevens weekend, but expectations for post-Covid boom are low
- ‘I’d be happy if we’re just half as busy as what we usually are,’ says one weary Lockhart Road bar manager ahead of event’s return
The Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens has typically meant big business for the bars that light up Lockhart Road and Lan Kwai Fong.
But publicans are keeping their expectations for a post-Covid boom to a bare minimum – even with Thursday’s relaxation on opening hours.
Pre-pandemic, it wasn’t unusual to see thousands of weary Sevens revellers crammed between a handful of bars in the Central nightlife district, or reclaiming roads in Wan Chai, and cleaning out 7 Eleven fridges of beer.
But 2022 will be a wildly different affair. For some, this weekend’s long-awaited return of the Sevens is a key moment for the city as it emerges from the doldrums of Covid-19 to show the world that Hong Kong is back.
But not everyone is as optimistic.
“Personally, I don’t have much expectation,” David Fong, manager of The White Stag on Lockhart Road, said. “I reckon this weekend might be a little bit busier than a normal weekend, which is good, but I don’t have much expectation beyond that.”
