Tag: 1880

Hong Kong – Private members’ club 1880 Hong Kong has reportedly closed its doors less than a year after its high-profile launch, with financial difficulties cited as the primary reason.

According to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the club—an extension of Singapore’s 1880—ceased operations due to cash flow problems and failed fundraising attempts. The venue was located at Two Taikoo Place in Quarry Bay, a commercial property under Swire Properties.

In an internal letter cited by multiple news outlets, founder Marc Nicolson addressed staff directly, expressing regret over the closure. He acknowledged the failure to secure new funding, writing, “I was wrong, and I’m deeply sorry.”

In a separate message to members, Nicolson said that the original Singapore club would continue operations under a new management group. Members of the now-defunct Hong Kong branch would receive a one-year overseas membership as compensation. However, it remains unclear whether refunds will be offered. All memberships and associated privileges have been discontinued.

The SCMP report also noted allegations that 1880 Hong Kong owes back pay to over 100 employees, including kitchen and office staff. The Labour Department has reportedly received requests for assistance from affected workers.

Two former employees, speaking anonymously, claimed they are owed HK$50,000 (US$6,376) and HK$90,000 in unpaid wages, not including severance and annual leave payouts. They said they received only HK$5,000 each in April and were told the rest would follow once new investment had been secured. No further payments have been made, according to their accounts.

No official statements have yet been issued regarding the allegations of unpaid wages or potential legal action.

The club opened on November 8 last year, occupying four floors and featuring event spaces, restaurants, and a gym with spa facilities. It also introduced “1880 SOCIAL”, a lifestyle offering housed in the same location. The Hong Kong outpost was part of a broader expansion, following locations in Singapore and Bali (1880 Brawa).

Singapore – Food delivery platform foodpanda has partnered with food technology company Eat Just to initiate the first-ever home delivery of cultured meat in Singapore as part of the celebration of Earth Day this year.

For a limited time, diners will be able to place orders for the following chef-crafted GOOD Meat Cultured Chicken dishes via the foodpanda app: Chicken & Rice with coconut rice, pak choi, sweet chili, chrysanthemums, microgreens; Katsu Chicken Curry with jasmine rice, heritage carrots, micro shiso, edible flowers; and Chicken Caesar Salad with kalee, romaine, edible flowers, shaved radish, plant-based Caesar dressing.

All of these cultured meat delivery offerings were made by 1880, the first establishment chosen by foodpanda to serve cultured meat to customers, and will now be the first to have GOOD Meat dishes delivered by foodpanda. GOOD Meat and foodpanda plan to collaborate with additional restaurants in Singapore to offer new dishes for delivery in the months to come.

According to Jakob Angele, CEO at foodpanda, they expect that this trend of sustainable food options will continue as they have seen a spike in demand during the pandemic.

“Sustainability is high on the agenda for foodpanda, and we will continue working closely with green F&B and retail partners to help them reach more customers via our platform, at the same time provide greener varieties for our customers,” Angele stated.

Meanwhile, Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO at Eat Just, commented, “Bringing GOOD Meat directly to the homes of people in Singapore with foodpanda is another historically important step in our journey to build a safer, healthier food system.”

The partnership bolsters not just the commitment of Eat Just and foodpanda in furthering the progress of food sustainability, but also that of foodpanda’s parent company Delivery Hero. Delivery Hero’s venture capital fund, DX ventures, is currently an investor in Eat Just – a testament of the organization’s collective commitment to creating and promoting a sustainable food ecosystem.

Foodpanda has been active in terms of partnering with sustainability-related organizations, such as Singapore-based blog-turned-online-shop The Sustainability Project, Taiwanese local health chain Cotton Field Organic, Malaysian eco-friendly supermarket chain Village Grocer, and Hong Kong zero waste store Slowood.