Continuing the Jockey Club’s initiative to transform its traditional Off-course Betting Branches (“OCBB”), the latest experience shop opened today (1 September) on Spring Garden Lane in Wan Chai. Following a complete renovation, the Spring Garden Lane Shop has been made over with a Japanese Showa era-inspired theme, integrating an unparalleled customer-centric experience* – Wagering and Dining Experience, Sports Entertainment, and O2O (On-course to Off-course and Online to Offline) Customer Entertainment – marking a new chapter in the Club’s retail transformation journey.
Dennis Hau, Executive Director, Customer Strategy, Insights and Innovation of The Hong Kong Jockey Club emphasises: “We are dedicated to uplifting our holistic OCBB experience for our customers, especially younger customers. This involves enriching the vibrant sports atmosphere at our Experience Shops, offering a delightful dining experience with a wide range of beverage options to heighten excitement, and implementing engaging online-to-offline edutainment programmes.”
Creating an O2O sports entertainment experience
The 3,000-square-foot Spring Garden Lane Shop is the Club’s sixth experience shop. It is conveniently located in close proximity to not only major commercial buildings and landmarks but also tranquil back streets, offering a peaceful yet vibrant ambience for residents and young office workers in the area.
The Spring Garden Lane Shop’s decor is inspired by the Japanese Showa era and is distinctly different from the Club’s other Wan Chai OCBBs on Jaffe Road and Hennessy Road, catering to diverse customer needs. Moreover, the Spring Garden Lane Shop’s close proximity to Happy Valley Racecourse enhances the customer experience by seamlessly integrating on-course and off-course Club activities, offering a comprehensive horse racing entertainment experience.
The Spring Garden Lane Shop has undergone its first major renovation in 20 years, bringing a brand-new image that aligns with revitalisation plans for Wan Chai district. The shop’s transformation introduces new elements to the historic community and presents the old neighbourhood with a new look.
Japanese kissaten KEIBA extends on-course dining experience off the course
The Spring Garden Lane Shop will feature a branch of the signature Happy Valley Racecourse restaurant KEIBA, bringing the on-course dining experience to an off-course setting. Customers can immerse themselves in the charm of racecourse culture away from the track. KEIBA embodies a vintage Japanese cafe style, featuring classic Japanese decor and nostalgic horse racing memorabilia that blend to create a leisurely ambiance, fusing elements of the Showa era and horse racing motifs. This resonates with the strong Japanese cultural vibe of Wan Chai district, which was known as “Little Japan” in the 1920s. KEIBA seats around 50 diners and offers a variety of exquisite Japanese-Western fusion dishes, from Japanese set meals and fried noodles to its sweet and tender caramel pudding. Customers can take a step back in time and savour an old-school Japanese dining experience. KEIBA will also introduce limited-time menu items featuring seasonal ingredients. It will also offer a raceday menu, allowing customers to enjoy a feast while watching the live races. Please [click here] for reservation details.
Experience one-stop entertainment by O2O engagement
The Spring Garden Lane Shop offers betting counters and self-service ticketing facilities to comprehensively cater to the needs of different customers. Customers can engage in KOL sharing sessions, DIY workshops and other leisure activities.
“In addition to featuring live-streamed racing events, we will also include real-time KOL broadcasts from OCBBs to our Classic 3-in-1 Discover page in the near future, further enhancing the O2O customer experience. Our goal is to continuously connect with the next generation through our immersive sport-dine-play strategy, promoting horse racing as a sport,” Dennis Hau added.
Customers can [click here] to scan the shop’s exclusive QR code, learn about the shop’s facilities and promotions, and conveniently make online reservations through the QR code.
For more details, please [click here] to watch the promotional video.
* All customers and entrants must be aged 18 or above
