Casa Tapas Bar in Sai Kung hit by seven day suspension of licence by FEHD after years of problems with outside seating

^{Naz Farah, co-owner of Casa Tapas Bar in Sai Kung Photo: Roger Medcalf, Sai Kung Buzz}

Casa has been hit with a 7-day licence suspension from Sunday 14 to Saturday 21 September, due to complaints about their outside seating. Co-owner Naz Farah gives BUZZ some background to the problems faced by food outlets in Sai Kung.

In Sai Kung, outdoor seating isn’t just a luxury; it’s the heart of our dining culture. The town’s waterfront and bustling squares come alive with tables spilling onto the streets, where locals and tourists savour fresh seafood and cold drinks under the open sky. This al fresco charm is what makes Sai Kung a beloved destination, drawing crowds to its unique blend of coastal beauty and vibrant atmosphere. But this lifeblood of our community is under threat, choked by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s (FEHD) absurdly complex Outside Seating Accommodation (OSA) licensing process, a bureaucratic maze that’s driving restaurateurs to despair with arbitrary rules and endless delays.

While a standard restaurant license takes about six weeks, securing an OSA is a nightmare. The FEHD imposes requirements not found in any law, like needing signatures from every neighbour, turning a simple application into a grueling ordeal. These rules aren’t just inconvenient; they’re killing local businesses.

^{Casa Tapas Bar, 5 Sha Tsui Path, Sai Kung, Hong Kong, Hong Kong}

Take my experience. In March 2020, I applied for an OSA for my restaurant, encouraged by promises from the local council and FEHD that the process would be straightforward. I paid HK$40,000 to a consultant to navigate the paperwork. A year later, the FEHD demanded signatures from all 12 neighbours upstairs and next door. I secured nine, but one family refused to sign, offering no explanation. The FEHD provided no mediation or flexibility. Two years later, my application remains in limbo.

This isn’t my first battle. My previous venture, also named Casa, faced the same issue. Rival businesses filed complaints, and constant fights with the FEHD drained us. We eventually got the OSA, but our landlord, fed up with the drama, evicted us. Today, half to two-thirds of Sai Kung businesses using outdoor space operate without licenses, risking hefty fines when competitors snitch. Two businesses on our square have closed recently, unable to secure signatures. My restaurant is next, hit with tens of thousands in fines. Without an OSA, we’re stuck with flimsy temporary tables, unable to invest in a proper setup to attract customers.

Sai Kung’s dining scene is fading, and the FEHD’s rules are largely to blame. Thankfully, hope is on the horizon. Councilor Christine Fong Kwok-shan has pushed the FEHD to drop the signature requirement, a major step forward. Councilor Sky Li Tin-chi has also reached out to reluctant neighbors to break deadlocks. But for my business, these changes might come too late. The FEHD must end this bureaucratic madness before Sai Kung loses more of its culinary soul.