The value of total receipts for the restaurants sector surged to $19.5 billion in the first quarter, up 15.8% on the same period last year, the Census & Statistics Department says. The value of total purchases by restaurants also rose 23.4% to $7.1 billion.

After discounting the effect of price changes, total restaurant receipts rose 10% in volume in the first quarter.

Analysed by type of restaurant, total receipts of bars grew 20.7% in value or 17.6% in volume. Total receipts of non-Chinese restaurants also rose 16.9% in value or 11.9% in volume, while total receipts of Chinese restaurants grew 16.9% in value or 10.4% in volume.

Total receipts of miscellaneous eating and drinking places increased 11.2% in value or by 7.1% in volume. For fast food shops, total receipts rose 10.9% in value or 5.7% in volume.

On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, the volume of total restaurant receipts in the first quarter rose 2% on last year's fourth quarter.