The initiative, first launched in March and ending on May 31, was designed to encourage diners to support their favourite restaurants
Launched on March 16, the United We Dine campaign was our way of supporting the Hong Kong restaurant industry through tough times. After months of slowing business in the wake of social unrest, we saw that the dining scene was just on the cusp of starting its recovery when Covid-19 reared its head. Speaking to our community of chefs, restaurateurs and industry professionals we recognised that there needed to be something, no matter what scale, to help prevent the further unravelling of Hong Kong’s culinary fabric.
See also: Visualising The Impact Of Coronavirus On Hong Kong's F&B Industry
The premise is simple: dine out at any of the 150-plus restaurants participating in the campaign, and eat out as frequently as you can in a safe and responsible manner. For every five restaurants you support (with the total minimum spend being HK$2500), you’ll receive an entry into our prize competition. Our generous sponsors have provided plenty of incentives, from hotel staycations to premium wines and spirits, spa treatments to kitchen gadgets.
The campaign will end on May 31, 2020 but we hope that you’ll continue to support your favourite restaurants for as long as you can—the last year has been strikingly difficult for the industry, with visitor numbers to the city dropping by 80% and restaurants reporting drops of up to 75% in business in March and April. Many restaurants have already closed, and there may be more on the chopping board if things don’t improve—the most we can do is continue supporting them with our dollars and our voices.
For each entry, we ask diners to share the reasons for why they’re supporting the Hong Kong dining scene, and the answers have been heartwarming, genuine and a true testament to how important restaurants are to our city.
To find out more about United We Dine, visit unitedwedine.hk
