Hong Kong restaurants spend to welcome furry diners under pet-friendly scheme

Pet strollers, partitions and pre-dining briefings for customers are among the measures Hong Kong restaurants are taking ahead of the launch of a scheme allowing dogs into eateries next week.Dim sum restaurant Old Fung Tea House, with six outlets across the city, is among 833 eateries that will allow dogs to enter starting on Thursday under a policy by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department aimed at developing the pet economy.Owner Fung Man-kit said he invested about HK$10,000 (US$1,275) in preparing for the new service, which will be on a reservation-only basis as recommended by the department.He was using a HK$3,000 air purifier and six partitions that cost about HK$5,000 in total to set up four tables for pets at his Mong Kok branch, the only one suitable for the scheme.The restaurant will also provide three pet strollers – each costing about HK$400 – and cleaning products, as well as a separate rubbish bin for pet waste in preparation for the roll-out.Pet owners had expressed strong interest in dining with their furry companions, Fung said, adding that spots for the weekend were quickly filling up.