Hakkasan Shanghai permanently closes amid Covid crisis

On 13 April, the Shanghai outpost of Hakkasan announced its permanent closure, marking the brand’s withdrawal from the Chinese market.

Opened in 2014, Hakkasan Shanghai was the global brand’s twelfth outlet. Located near the Bund, the restaurant was not only famous for its modern Cantonese cuisine, but also for its spectacular views of the city. Since it was the only Hakkasan branch in China, the closure implies the brand’s withdrawal from the Chinese market.

In a statement, the group claimed “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 13 April. This decision will enable us to reduce our portfolio and focus on the remaining venues.”

Compared with other countries, the dining scene in China is now picking up as the spread of coronavirus is halted. Hakkasan Shanghai was one of the first to reopen in early February and had been actively promoting the restaurant. However, as coronavirus concerns persist, many shopping malls are shortening their opening hours to close before 9 pm. As a long-established fine dining brand in Shanghai, many citizens were shocked by its abrupt closure.

Earlier this year, the group laid off its entire Las Vegas workforce of 1,600 workers. Currently, it has temporarily closed nightclubs, day-clubs, and restaurants in over 20 destination cities worldwide for the sake of health and safety.