Macao’s retail sector is in trouble. How long can small businesses hold out?
On a quiet weekday evening, Nelson Rocha looks across his half-empty Portuguese restaurant, Mariazinha, near the Ruins of St. Paul’s. Once filled with loyal locals and curious tourists, the family-run eatery – a Macao favourite since 2015 – now faces uncertainty. “Some days, we serve 80 people,” Rocha says. “The next day? Maybe 20. How can you plan for that?” Stock orders, kitchen schedules and staff management have become a guessing game for the restaurateur. In the Praia Grande district, Cyrus Cheong, who opened Moody Kitchen in 2023, faces similar struggles. Even on holidays (which used to guarantee a healthy inflow of customers), empty tables can be found at this Indonesian café. “On a recent public holiday in early December,” he says, “we had about 70 percent less customers than what we’d typically expect on a busy day.” Adding to the distress felt by many Macao’s small business owners is a growing trend that’s impossible to ignore. “Locals are heading to Z...