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Danny Mok

Hong Kong workers who lost their jobs in the sudden closure of several outlets of global fast food chain Burger King have approached the Labour Department for help.
Five of the seven outlets in Hong Kong have closed for unknown periods with notices on the door citing different reasons and nobody answering telephones.
The affected stores in Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei, Wong Tai Sin and Tseung Kwan O were all operated by a single franchisee, Perfect Combo, which was taken to court several times this year over unpaid rental payments and other fees involving several outlets.
The signboards on the Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui outlets have been removed and all furniture inside the Wan Chai store has also gone.
At the Tseung Kwan O and Yau Ma Tei outlets, which have been closed for several days, notes read “temporarily closed due to faulty equipment”.
A few people of unknown identity were seen working inside the closed Wong Tai Sin outlet, which shut down yesterday.
A note on the outlet’s cash register read “closed officially” and “retreat in glory”.
Two other outlets operated by another franchisee on The Peak and in terminal 2 of the Hong Kong International Airport remain open.
Staff from these two outlets said they were not related to other restaurants and they would operate normally.
A male worker at The Peak outlet said: “We will not close for sure.”
A spokesman for the Labour Department said some of the affected workers had approached it. He said officers had been trying to contact the person in charge of the five outlets.
It urged the affected workers to come to its offices to receive help.
Under the Employment Ordinance, an employer must pay his or her employees within seven days of the due wage date.
The 60-year-old US-based hamburger chain started business in Hong Kong in the 1980s, but pulled out in the 1990s due to poor sales.
Burger King made a comeback in 2003, opening a store at the airport. More than 20 outlets were open in 2011, but this number has since declined.


5 Hong Kong Burger King outlets suddenly close: employees trying to contact operator

Five Burger King outlets suddenly closed, leaving workers in the dark. Photo: Dickson Lee

No Caption Available.

Five Burger King outlets suddenly closed, leaving workers in the dark. Photo: SCMP Pictures

A branch in Yau Ma Tei. Photo: Dickson Lee

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