Hong Kong has been the perfect platform for us to step onto the global stage, with its well-structured, business-friendly environment offering both local familiarity and international exposure.
Starting as a one-off restaurant in Hangzhou’s famous Longjing tea district 17 years ago, Green Tea today boasts over 500 restaurants in China. Now it is taking its unique Zhejiang cuisine to the world, with restaurants recently opened in Singapore and Bangkok, and more to follow soon in Macao and Kuala Lumpur. The story of this global expansion hinges on Hong Kong, where the Green Tea Group opened its first restaurant outside the Chinese Mainland in 2024, and where the company listed on the city’s stock exchange (HKEX) in 2025, affirming its commitment to international growth.
Building Momentum through Strong Capital Markets
“Our HKEX listing was a major milestone” noted Vice President & General Manager of Overseas Business Division, Green Tea Group, Thomas Tao. “It signalled to the world our scale and operational strength, and gave our brand international recognition. What’s more, our no-franchise business model means we rely on our own resources to expand overseas, and Hong Kong is the perfect place to raise investor funding.”
Hong Kong provided Green Tea with other leverage for expansion too. As the company’s first step outside the Chinese Mainland, it offered a vital testing ground for successfully translating the Green Tea flavours and ethos onto the international stage. “Hong Kong has a highly international and sophisticated dining scene and a special appreciation for Chinese cuisine, so it was an ideal location to test and refine our offerings and business model,” said Tao. “More than that, the high standards – and high competitiveness – of the city’s F&B sector have given us the benchmarks we need to achieve international success. Not to mention the wealth of international culinary talent we’ve been able to draw on.”
Business Made Easy
In using Hong Kong as a springboard, Green Tea has also benefited from the city’s business environment and many Government support initiatives. “The simple and clear regulatory environment in Hong Kong made the transition here very straightforward for us, enabling us to focus on what we do best,” added Tao. “We’ve also received a lot of assistance from InvestHK, in key areas such as real estate contacts, supplier bases, media coverage, and even employee visas.”
Green Tea offers diners a serene and creative dining experience, based on Zhejiang cuisine with modern twists, presented in a refined cultural ambience, at affordable prices. Its move to Hong Kong provided the resources, confidence and know-how for Green Tea to take its bow on the international stage.
