Hakkasan, the international dining group, has closed its Shanghai restaurant abruptly this week, finishing its six-year run, the company says, citing the impact of COVID-19 as the main cause to streamline its global restaurant operations.
Hakkasan group earlier this year has also temporarily suspended its venue operations worldwide across more than 20 cities until further notice, due to the pandemic.
“The impact of COVID-19 on our global operations has forced us to evaluate the viability of our venues and make a number of prudent yet difficult business decisions to reduce our footprint. To preserve the long-term stability of our business, we plan to permanently close Hakkasan Shanghai effective Monday April 13.
“This decision will enable us to reduce our portfolio and focus on the remaining venues. We remain committed to crafting remarkable experiences for our guests and look forward to welcoming them back to our other worldwide properties once they are safe to reopen,” the company says.
Hakkasan Shanghai, housed in the illustrious Bund 18 building, is the brand’s first location in China and opened its doors in March 2014. The restaurant is noted for its fine wine list in Michelin Guide, which is an eclectic list curated by sommelier Felix Zhang.
The fine dining Cantonese restaurant did not survive the cut despite Shanghai’s dining scene gradually returns to normal.
As Vino Joy News reported, the country’s Ministry of Commerce estimated at least 80% of restaurants and bars resumed their operation after the country emerged from a more than two month lockdown.
Worldwide, fine dining restaurants are among the hardest hit establishments during the pandemic, as countries across the world introduce strict social distancing measures including shutting down restaurants to fight the virus outbreak with no end in sight.
Chef Daniel Humm at three-Michelin starred Eleven Madison Park in New York pleads, “Our industry now hangs on a thread.”
The restaurant has laid off its over 170 employees after New York order restaurants to shut.
