Tai Pan invented the ice-skin mooncake — then closed all 9 stores after 41 years

Tai Pan Bread & Cakes (大班麵包西餅), the Hong Kong bakery that invented the ice-skin mooncake (冰皮月餅) in 1989, closed all of its remaining stores on June 24, 2025. The chain had been founded in 1984 by Kwok Hung-kuen, starting with a single shop in Ngau Tau Kok. At its peak, Tai Pan operated nearly 30 stores across Hong Kong.

The company's decline accelerated after the Kwok family exited the business in June 2021 and sold to businessman Liu Zhiqiang. Under Liu's ownership, losses deepened. Tai Pan defaulted on rent across multiple locations, with landlords pursuing nearly HK$3 million in arrears. On June 23, 2025 — the day before closure — a landlord in Aberdeen filed a claim for over HK$300,000.

The closure affected approximately 200 employees. The Labour Department helped 120 employees register claims for unpaid wages and severance, estimated at HK$16 million. Unions estimated the total including long-service payments could reach HK$35 million. Liu himself was declared bankrupt by the High Court on June 15, 2025, owing HK$2.9 million. Tai Pan's closure marked the end of a brand that had defined Hong Kong mooncake culture for three decades.