Hong Kong restaurant chain Ocean Empire has announced the closure of all its branches, putting an end to its 33-year history.

The company informed staff of the decision on Wednesday, saying the closure of its seven branches and the termination of all staff contracts would take immediate effect, local media reported .

In a notice to the staff, Ocean Empire said that “due to the business environment and the deterioration of our company’s financial situation, the company’s management has made the difficult decision to terminate all business operations and close all stores and offices on the same day.”

The restaurant chain said it would communicate with its staff about claims against the company for outstanding wages, payment in lieu of notice, accrued annual leave, and severance pay. They could also reach out to the Labour Department to consult on their legal rights, the company added.

An HKFP reporter who visited Ocean Empire’s Wan Chai branch around noon on Wednesday saw that the store was shut with the lights off. The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, a pro-establishment party, posted a notice on the restaurant’s door inviting former staff to contact them for assistance with labour rights.

Founded in 1992, Ocean Empire offered Cantonese congee, rice rolls and snacks. It had seven branches in the city before its closure, according to its website . At its peak, it had around 30 branches, HK01 reported .

The news comes amid a wave of restaurant and shop closures over the past year.

American restaurant chain Outback Steakhouse announced in late August that it would close nearly half of its outlets in Hong Kong.

Kam Kee Cafe said in October that it would gradually close all its branches in the New Territories, leaving only outlets across Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. In the same month, American chain Garrett Popcorn announced its departure from Hong Kong after 13 years.

Thai dessert chain After You exited Hong Kong in April, three years after its foray into the local market.

Irene is the recipient of two Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) awards and three honourable mentions for her investigative, feature and video reporting. She also received a Human Rights Press Award for multimedia reporting and an honourable mention for feature writing.