Tim Ho Wan () is a

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

dim sum Dim sum () is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch. Most modern dim sum dishes are commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine, although dim sum dishes also exist in other Chinese cuis ...

restaurant chain originating from Hong Kong. Known for being "the world's cheapest Michelin-star restaurant", the chain has since expanded and now has franchises in 12 countries.

History

Tim Ho Wan was founded in March 2009 by Mak Kwai-pui (a former chef at three Michelin star restaurant

Lung King Heen Lung King Heen () is a fine dining Cantonese restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. Its kitchen is run by chef de cuisine Chan Yan-tak, who came out of early retirement in 2002 for the Hotel. The restaurant has earned many commendations ...

) and Leung Fai-keung, with their first location being a 20-seater restaurant in Mong Kok. Mak had stated that, "the food scene in Hong Kong globalized and I saw less and less authentic Cantonese food", and that by opening Tim Ho Wan he wanted to "keep the tradition alive at an affordable price". The name Tim Ho Wan means "to add good luck". Within a year of opening, the original Tim Ho Wan in Mong Kok gained a

michelin star The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of a ...

Local Expansion

The original Mong Kok location relocated to Olympian City in 2013, and the chain has 5 additional branches in Hong Kong.

Franchise

The Tim Ho Wan Group is owned by Mak and Leung (50% equity holding each), and the group owns all branches in Hong Kong. The Group also collects fees by franchising out their brand globally; all Tim Ho Wan head chefs at these franchised locations must be experienced dim sum chefs, and go through a mandatory 4-week training session in Hong Kong.

Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific franchise rights are held by Tim Ho Wan Private Limited, and includes 39 branches in 9 Asia-Pacific markets (excluding Hong Kong, as Tim Ho Wan Group retains direct control of their Hong Kong branches, and excluding Japan). The master franchise rights were acquired by Jollibee Foods Corporation for approximately USD 33 million in 2018.

Europe, the USA, and Japan

The franchise rights in Europe, the United States, and Japan are held by Japanese dining group WDI Group. They currently operate 8 branches, with 2 in Tokyo, 2 in New York City, 1 in Irvine, CA, 1 in Las Vegas, 1 in Waikiki, and 1 in Katy, TX.

References

External links

* {{Food chains in South Korea Michelin Guide starred restaurants in Hong Kong Restaurants in Hong Kong Restaurants in the Philippines