The long-established Hoover Cake Shop in Kowloon City, which will close its doors for good at the start of next month.In the old town of Kowloon City sits a decades-old corner shop that catches the eye of passers-by with a shopfront of bright red floral tiles and copies of comments praising its egg tarts, a custard confection synonymous with Hong Kong.
Lyla Ding, 40, an office worker, was among the regulars over the past two years and said she was shocked by the announcement. But it has managed to pack a massive menu into its tiny footprint as, besides Western-style pastries like Swiss rolls and palmiers, Hoover sells Chinese baked treats such as almond cookies and red bean puffs.
The announcement came after a wave of closures of classic city food outlets amid the Covid-19 crisis. Happy Cake Shop, in Wan Chai, shut its doors for good in July after 45 years in business. For many who have grown up with the Hoover Cake Shop, its closure meant more than the loss of yet another local store.