Café de Coral
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fast food, Catering |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Founder | Victor Lo Tang-seong, Lo Kai-muk |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong , Hong Kong |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Fast food, Chinese cuisine, Western cuisine |
| Website | www |
Café de Coral Holdings, Ltd. () is a fast-food enterprise headquartered in Hong Kong that owns and manages several restaurant brands, including Café de Coral, Super Super, The Spaghetti House, Oliver's Super Sandwiches, and Ah Yee Leng Tong.
Established in 1968, the company launched its inaugural Café de Coral outlet in Causeway Bay the following year. It has grown to operate more than 580 locations worldwide, establishing itself as the largest Chinese fast-food operator on a global scale. Within Hong Kong, it caters to upwards of 300,000 patrons daily.
Origins
Victor Lo Tang-seong (1915–2016), sibling to Vitasoy founder Lo Kwee-seong and Fairwood founder Lo Fong-cheung, along with his nephew Lo Kai-muk, founded Café de Coral. Victor Lo’s vision was to deliver affordable dining options to Hong Kong’s working population. He formalized the company in 1968 and opened the first restaurant in 1969 when he was 54 years old.
Throughout the 1970s, the brand expanded progressively, initiating television advertisements in 1977 and establishing its first food-processing facility in 1979 to enhance cost efficiency and maintain quality control. The firm went public in 1986 and celebrated its 50th outlet by 1988. Subsequent efforts concentrated on growth through strategic acquisitions.
Growth through acquisitions
Café de Coral’s initial acquisition occurred in May 1990 with the purchase of the Ah Yee Leng Tong chain for HK$14 million. The following year saw the acquisition of The Spaghetti House, a well-known Hong Kong-style Italian restaurant chain, alongside the opening of a second food-processing plant. By 1992, the company had inaugurated its 100th outlet and expanded beyond Hong Kong by establishing a presence in Shenzhen.
In 1996, the group introduced the Bravo le Café brand and acquired Scanfoods, a company specializing in ham production and food distribution. Two years later, it launched Super Super Congee & Noodle.
The early 2000s were marked by continued acquisitions such as Denny's Bakery (2000), North American Chinese fast-food chain Manchu Wok (2000), China Inn (2002), New Asia Dabao (2003), and Oliver's Super Sandwiches (2003).
In 2006, the organization implemented its "fourth-generation concept," modernizing numerous outlets to refresh the brand image. The subsequent year included an investment in the Tao Heung Group, which operates eleven brands across China and Hong Kong.
In 2012, Café de Coral introduced MiXian Sense to tap into Hong Kong’s mixian (rice noodle) market segment. The company later sold Manchu Wok to MTY Food Group in late 2014.
Victor Lo Tang-seong, the founder, passed away in 2016 at age 101.
Café de Coral
Café de Coral is a fast-food brand serving both Chinese and Western cuisine at economical prices. Established in Causeway Bay in 1968, it runs over 100 outlets within Hong Kong and an additional 24 across China. As of September 2019, there were 165 Café de Coral restaurants within the group.
The Spaghetti House
The Spaghetti House specializes as a mid-range restaurant chain offering Hong Kong-style Italian dishes aimed at families and tourists. Founded in 1979, it operates more than 30 outlets throughout Hong Kong, Macau, and Southern China.
Ah Yee Leng Tong
Ah Yee Leng Tong is known for its homestyle Chinese soups and Cantonese cuisine, with a particular emphasis on its signature XO sauce. The restaurant features a mix of classic and contemporary interior design that attracts both local patrons and visitors. It currently operates a single outlet located at Hong Kong International Airport.
Bravo le Café
Bravo le Café is a fast-casual dining chain offering a variety of Western, Chinese, and Japanese dishes within a bistro atmosphere tailored to young, career-focused professionals. It maintains three branches across Hong Kong: at the International Finance Centre, Central district, and Hong Kong International Airport.
Super Super Congee & Noodles
Super Super Congee & Noodles is a quick-service brand specializing in congee and noodle-based meals. As of 2006, it had expanded to 50 outlets throughout Hong Kong, including locations in Tsing Yi and Wong Tai Sin.
MiXian Sense
MiXian Sense provides Sichuan-style spicy tomato soup rice noodles along with options such as sweet tomato soup and traditional pork bone broth. Founded in Tsing Yi in 2012, the chain has grown to encompass 16 establishments across Hong Kong.
Oliver's Super Sandwich
Originally launched in 1987 in Hong Kong and later rebranded by Cafe de Coral in 2012, Oliver's Super Sandwich offers freshly prepared sandwiches alongside light pasta dishes and steamed potatoes topped with egg and salmon combinations.
Other brands
The company’s portfolio also includes other concepts such as Little Onion, The Cup, 360 Series, ZAKKA, Shanghai Lao Lao, and Dong Dong Tei.
Wage controversy
In response to the introduction of Hong Kong’s minimum wage legislation in July 2010, Café de Coral raised its average hourly pay from HK$22.4 to HK$33 to meet the new standards. However, it simultaneously discontinued compensation for employees’ lunch breaks, leading to public criticism and a boycott threat issued by the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions. Just three days prior to the planned boycott, Café de Coral reversed its decision by reinstating paid lunch breaks while keeping the wage increase intact.