A Short History of Pizza in Hong Kong

Pizza isn't "foreign food" in Hong Kong any more — it's part of daily life. But the road here took forty years.

1980s: the chains arrive

Pizza Hut opened its first Hong Kong store in 1981, at Argyle Centre in Mong Kok. For a generation born in the 80s, "pizza" still means the version that Pizza Hut sold: thick crust, stretchy cheese, with pineapple. Domino's followed in the 1990s, mostly via delivery.

2000s: Italian dining rooms

After 2000, Italian restaurants opened across Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay. Cova, Da Domenico and Sabatini brought a more traditional European pizza to Hong Kong — at a premium price.

2010s: independent artisans

From the mid-2010s, a generation of independent pizzerias arrived: Pizza Express (UK chain), Mr. Bing, Hong Kong Pizza Club, Motorino. Motorino opened in Sai Ying Pun in 2014 and brought real wood-fired Neapolitan pizza into the mainstream conversation.

2020s: local fusion

The newest wave is local fusion: char-siu & pineapple, roast duck, typhoon-shelter prawn, soy-sauce chicken. This isn't "Chinese pizza" — it's Italian technique applied to Hong Kong flavours. Pizza Box opened in 2018 as part of this movement.

How Hong Kongers eat pizza

• To share: almost every HK pizzeria serves whole pies for sharing, not personal slices.
• With cold drinks: Coke, lemon tea — not Chianti.
• Delivery-first: Foodpanda and Deliveroo reshaped consumption. Most pizza in HK is now eaten at home.
• Late night: orders are still strong past 10 PM.

What's next

The market is still evolving. Likely trends: more single-style specialists (Detroit-only, Roman al taglio-only), more countertop home ovens in Hong Kong kitchens, and deeper local fusion (grass-carp pizza? lap-mei pizza?).

Want to know each style? See the pizza styles guide. Want to make your own? Start with the home recipe.