Hong Kong restaurant operators have hit out at a scheme requiring them to have permits to run dog-friendly venues, saying they had already been allowing pets in their outdoor seating areas but were now barred from doing so without the new licence.
Businesses said they had been forced to turn away dog owners who were previously welcomed, even as the government promoted the scheme to make the city more pet-friendly and support the struggling food and drink industry.
“The government is trying to make all the restaurants and bars pet-friendly, but actually, it’s working the other way,” said Bijay Subba, manager of the Happy Valley Bar & Grill.
He said the restaurant in Happy Valley, a traditionally pet-friendly neighbourhood, had long allowed customers to bring dogs if they dined in its outdoor seating area.
“It has hampered our business,” he said, noting that many residents in the neighbourhood owned dogs and often stopped by while walking their pets.
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