By Cannix Yau

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As Super Typhoon Ragasa pummelled Hong Kong on Wednesday, some brave restaurants kept their doors open for hungry Hongkongers.
Despite the Hong Kong Observatory maintaining its highest-level No 10 warning in the morning for the year’s most powerful storm, before lowering it to No 8 at lunchtime, many residents braved gale-force winds and heavy downpours to get food and essentials.
Fast food giant McDonald’s kept several of its stores open even during the peak of the typhoon, and its Tseung Kwan O outlet was packed with diners who waited patiently for around half an hour for their meals.
In Hung Hom, Le Cafe & Bar announced on Facebook that it was business as usual at the cha chaan teng, with a 10 per cent discount on pickup orders.
In Whampoa, Japanese fast food Sukiya’s outlet was open to diners, and in Yau Tong, a cart-noodle store called “Friends” was seen serving customers.
However, most convenience stores, supermarkets and restaurants chose not to defy Ragasa, and remained shuttered.

While A1 Bakery group announced that all its outlets would remain closed on Wednesday, some of its workers took to social media to complain that the chain had unfairly deducted a day’s annual leave even though Ragasa had triggered the highest storm warning.
Meanwhile, Blossom22 told the Post that it did not have any deliveries lined up for Wednesday, even though the online florist had earlier announced that it would make every effort to deliver orders for important events on time, regardless of the extreme weather.
“We do the deliveries ourselves. If there is an order today, we’ll consider if the situation allows us to make a safe delivery first. I am sure our customers will understand,” the store owner said.