Hong Kong restaurant sales rose 5.6 per cent in the third quarter of this year.

But according to the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), after netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the volume of total restaurant receipts increased by just 2.7 per cent year on year.

Quarter on quarter, restaurant sales rose by 0.7 per cent in value and 0.2 per cent in volume, but this might be partly explained by the effect of super typhoon Mangkhut forcing many eateries to be closed, some for days.

Analysed by type of restaurant and comparing the third quarter of 2018 with the third quarter of last year, total receipts of Chinese restaurants increased by 4.8 per cent in value and 2.2 per cent in volume, and of non-Chinese restaurants by 6.1 per cent in value and 3.5 per cent in volume. Total receipts of fast food shops increased by 4.9 per cent in value and 0.9 per cent in volume, while sales at bars rose by 10.1 per cent in value and 9.8 per cent in volume. Other undefined “miscellaneous eating and drinking places” saw sales rise 9.8 per cent in value and 6.1 per cent in volume.

Comparing the first three quarters of this year with the same period last year, total restaurant receipts increased by 7.4 per cent in value and 4.4per cent in volume.