Land project forces closure of Si Sun Fast Food

After more than half a century on its Hung Hom site, Si Sun Fast Food has been forced to close because of a property redevelopment project.

Known for its Hong Kong-style burgers, the eatery is among stores and nearby housing estates that have been forced to sell under the Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment scheme, reports Apple Daily.

Controlled by tycoon Lee Shau Kee, Henderson Land Development has a major involvement in the redevelopment scheme, EJinsight reports.

Founded in 1963, Si Sun beat the McDonald’s chain to be the first outlet to offer hamburgers in Hong Kong, and was acclaimed for its beef patty and range of sauces. It attracted queues of locals plus students from the nearby Hong Kong Polytechnic University, selling up to nearly 1000 burgers every day.

A notice pasted outside the shop advises of the closure, while its Facebook page says it is suspending trade and will provide an update on the situation later.

With a floor area of about 52.5 sqm, the property had a saleable value of nearly HK$19.5 million (US$2.4 million) last year. The hole-in-the-wall shop was jointly owned by brothers Chung Kei-to and Chung Kei-ching, along with other siblings.

They say their father Chung Kwun-kau arrived in Hong Kong from China in the 1960s to seek refuge. After working as a helper at Law’s Vitasoy restaurant, he opened his own restaurant at 1A Whampoa Street in Hung Hom, selling toast, tea and pastries.

After learning about the popularity of burgers overseas, he devised his “Hong Kong-style bun” using two round buns to sandwich a pan-fried beef patty. It became an instant hit, as did its double-decker cheeseburger.

Chung senior bought the site in 1979 for $445,000, and left the property to his two sons.

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