Baak Tin Yau Yuen (百田遊園) — HK playground chain 9→2 stores; owner warns end 'any moment'

百田遊園 (Baak Tin Yau Yuen, 'Hundred Fields Playground') was a Hong Kong children's indoor playground chain. At its peak it had 9 stores across the territory — in Causeway Bay, Jordan, Tuen Mun, Sheung Wan and other locations. By January 2026, only 2 stores remained (Jordan and Ma On Shan). The owner, who goes by 'Fat Uncle' (肥叔叔), warned that the brand had entered 'a moment where all remaining stores could close at any time.'

The last major blow was the Sheung Wan location, a 14,000-square-foot space at 無極限廣場 that opened in 2024. The landlord gave one month's notice to vacate after the lease expired. The owner had invested over HK$2 million renovating the space, calling it 'HK$2M+ of investment turned to nothing' (二百幾萬投資化為烏有). With the Sheung Wan store gone, the owner said the remaining two outlets could not generate enough revenue to cover the chain's monthly operating costs.

百田遊園 was one of several Hong Kong children's playground chains that collapsed in 2025–2026, part of a broader wave of closures driven by structural challenges. Industry operators cited outdated government regulations — a 16-year age cutoff for arcade games that prevents family-friendly innovation, no regulatory path to approve new rides — as well as high rent, labour costs, the emigration wave, low birth rates, and the steady drain of consumer spending to mainland China (northbound consumption). Even on long holidays, the owner said, revenue was only 55% of a normal weekday.

The broader closure wave has also hit similar chains. '大樹先生的家' (Mr. Tree's House) quietly closed its Causeway Bay location around the same time, with only one store remaining and rumours it was looking for a buyer.

The owner invested HK$2M+ renovating the Sheung Wan store, but the landlord gave one month's notice to vacate, turning the investment into a total loss.

Outdated government regulations — a 16-year age cutoff for arcade games and no regulatory path to approve new rides — prevented the chain from innovating its offerings

High rent and labour costs — the Sheung Wan store alone needed 4–5 maintenance staff in addition to rent and management fees

Hong Kong's emigration wave and low birth rate shrank the customer base of middle-class families

Northbound consumption — on long holidays, revenue was only 55% of a normal weekday as families spent money in mainland China

The owner invested HK$2M+ in the Sheung Wan store only to receive one month's notice to vacate, turning the investment into a total loss

A 9-store chain shrank to 2 — when regulation, rent, emigration and cross-border spending all move against a business that relies on local families, there is nowhere to go.