Louis Koo Closes HK Restaurant Till Covid-19 Blows Over, Gives Staff Paid Leave To Protect Their Rice Bowls

Louis Koo Closes HK Restaurant Temporarily Due To Covid-19 Even Though Business Is Okay

Many businesses in countries hard-hit by the Covid-19 outbreak are not faring well. However, actor Louis Koo’s restaurant Ming was still going strong, according to Hong Kong’s Apple Daily.

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Despite his business’s condition, Koo decided to temporarily close his restaurant until March, or till the Covid-19 situation improves. To protect his staff’s interests, he offered them paid leave as well.

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Other artistes’ shops closed

Koo is not the first artiste to roll down the shutters on his business due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

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Previously, Nicholas Tse had closed his cookie shops, converting it to an online business.

The current economic situation is not ideal for most businesses, and even before the Covid-19 outbreak, turmoil in Hong Kong forced many businesses to fold.

Closed shop to protect staff

Although Ming, Koo’s high-end restaurant located in Causeway Bay, is doing well and even enjoyed relatively good business since Chinese New Year, he closed the shop as a safeguard for his staff.

A dinner hosted by Koo
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… The management told me the virus is very strong, to protect the customers and staff, they suggested we close for a period of time and re-open around early March…

The re-opening date is tentative and will mostly depend on the Covid-19 situation.

Gave staff paid leave, donated more than 1 million masks

He made sure to make one important request — the staff must be given paid leave. Most importantly, the management had to try their best not to retrench staff.

The economic situation is so bad now, I’ll help them as much as I can, to the best of my abilities, to protect their rice bowls.

‘Rice bowls’ is a term used to refer to one’s livelihood.

This is not Koo’s only act of kindness – the generous artiste previously announced that the charity foundation under his name would donate 1.3 million masks to the needy.

As the president of the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild, he donated 20,000 masks after learning that many of the elderly artistes did not have sufficient masks, reported HK01.

Artistes who benefitted
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Fellow actor Chapman To lauded him, saying that “there’s only one Louis Koo in the whole world” when it comes to kindness.

Kindness changes the world

There’s nothing Kooler than protecting the interests of your staff when times are tough.

We’re sure that Koo’s kindness and generosity have touched many – from his staff to the ones who’ve benefited from his donations.

It’s great to see him go the extra mile to protect others these difficult times, especially because his business is doing well.

Featured image adapted from DBS Hong Kong and Open Rice.