The value of total receipts for Hong Kong's restaurants sector was 19.2 billion HK dollars (2.48 billion HK dollars) in the second quarter, down 0.7 percent on the same period last year, Hong Kong government's Census and Statistics Department said on Monday.

The value of total purchases by restaurants fell 4.9 percent to 6.6 billion HK dollars. After discounting the effect of price changes, total restaurant receipts fell 2.3 percent in volume.

Total receipts of fast food shops grew 2 percent in value but declined 0.3 percent in volume, while total receipts of bars dropped 2.3 percent in value and 3.9 percent in volume.

Total receipts of Chinese restaurants fell 1.4 percent in value and 3.2 percent in volume, while that of non-Chinese restaurants decreased 1 percent in value and 1.8 percent in volume.

On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, the volume of total restaurant receipts rose 0.7 percent.

Comparing the first half of the year with the same period last year, total restaurant receipts rose 0.4 percent in value but fell 2.1 percent in volume.

(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2009)