Founded in December 1972 by Mr. Lo Fong Cheung, Fairwood (大快活) is one of Hong Kong's three largest fast-food restaurant chains. For commercial landlords, food-supply vendors, financial institutions, and KYB compliance officers, it is critical to distinguish between the four primary active legal entities registered with the Hong Kong Companies Registry (ICRIS): (1) FAIRWOOD FAST FOOD LIMITED ((大快活快餐有限公司), CR No. 0091765, BRN 07036638), the primary Hong Kong operating company holding Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) restaurant licences; (2) FAIRWOOD HOLDINGS LIMITED (大快活集團有限公司, CR No. F0005151, BRN 15052709), the Bermuda-incorporated ultimate holding company listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00052.HK) and registered under Part 16 of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622); (3) FAIRWOOD FAST FOOD (MANAGEMENT) LIMITED (大快活快餐(管理)有限公司, CR No. 0293273, BRN 14201808), the group's central administrative and human-resources management subsidiary; and (4) FAIRWOOD INVESTMENTS LIMITED (大快活集團有限公司, CR No. 0161861, BRN 10263676), a local private company limited by shares that shares the exact same Chinese name as the listed holding company (F0005151).
1. Statutory Disambiguation of Core Fairwood Group Entities in Hong Kong
Under Hong Kong company law prior to the 1997 bilingual legislation reform, local corporations incorporated with an English Memorandum and Articles of Association that included an unofficial or secondary Chinese name translation were indexed by the Companies Registry with parentheses around their Chinese name—such as (大快活快餐有限公司) (0091765). The table below summarizes the core statutory entities of the Fairwood Group:
| CR No. | 8-Digit BRN / UBI | Legal English Name | Legal Chinese Name | Incorporation / Reg. Date | Entity Type & Status | Primary Corporate Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0091765 | 07036638 | FAIRWOOD FAST FOOD LIMITED | (大快活快餐有限公司) | 1981-01-09 | Private Co. Ltd. by Shares · Live | Primary HK fast-food operating & restaurant licensing entity |
| F0005151 | 15052709 | FAIRWOOD HOLDINGS LIMITED | 大快活集團有限公司 | 1991-10-11 | Registered Non-HK Co. · Live | HKEX Main Board Listed Parent (00052.HK) |
| 0293273 | 14201808 | FAIRWOOD FAST FOOD (MANAGEMENT) LIMITED | 大快活快餐(管理)有限公司 | 1990-12-07 | Private Co. Ltd. by Shares · Live | Group central administration, HR & management subsidiary |
| 0161861 | 10263676 | FAIRWOOD INVESTMENTS LIMITED | 大快活集團有限公司 | 1985-11-22 | Private Co. Ltd. by Shares · Live | Internal investment holding company (shares Chinese name with F0005151) |
| 0292557 | 14201793 | FAIRWOOD DEVELOPMENT LIMITED | (大快活發展有限公司) | 1990-11-27 | Private Co. Ltd. by Shares · Live | Pre-IPO corporate development subsidiary |
| 0299602 | 14323133 | FAIRWOOD PROPERTIES LIMITED | (大快活物業有限公司) | 1991-02-12 | Private Co. Ltd. by Shares · Live | Property holding subsidiary |
| 0222220 | 12047038 | FAIRWOOD ENGINEERING SERVICES LIMITED | — | 1988-07-22 | Private Co. Ltd. by Shares · Live | Store fit-out, kitchen engineering & E&M maintenance |
| 0330404 | 15135981 | FAIRWOOD (SHENZHEN) DEVELOPMENT LIMITED | 大快活(深圳)發展有限公司 | 1991-10-22 | Private Co. Ltd. by Shares · Live | Mainland China (Shenzhen & Greater Bay Area) investment hub |
| 0066567 | — | CAFE DE FAIRWOOD LIMITED | 大快活有限公司 | 1978-12-28 | Private Co. Ltd. by Shares · Dissolved | Historical 1978 entity evidencing early naming parallel with Café de Coral |
2. The Lo Family Heritage (Vitasoy, Café de Coral & Fairwood) and 2003 Rebranding
Fairwood's origins trace back to the renowned Hakka Lo family of Meixian, Guangdong: Dr. Lo Kwee Seong (羅桂祥) founded Vitasoy (00345.HK) in 1940; his younger brother Victor Lo Tang Seong (羅騰祥) co-founded Café de Coral (00341.HK) in 1968; and ninth brother Lo Fong Cheung (羅芳祥) founded Fairwood in December 1972 on Chung On Street, Tsuen Wan. Despite their shared family heritage, Fairwood and Café de Coral have operated as completely independent, competing listed groups throughout their history.
Following its Main Board IPO on 9 October 1991 (00052.HK), rapid expansion in Mainland China led to five consecutive years of losses between FY1995 and FY1999. After Mr. Dennis Lo Hoi Yeung (羅開揚) assumed leadership as Chairman and CEO in January 2000, the Group consolidated its Mainland footprint (dissolving its historical Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Macau, Shunde, and South China subsidiaries while retaining CR: 0330404) and launched its landmark November 2003 rebranding in collaboration with designer Alan Chan (陳幼堅) and architect Steve Leung (梁志天)—replacing the legacy clown mascot with the iconic orange jumping figure shaped like the Chinese character "大", pioneering chain-wide non-smoking restaurants in 2003 ahead of Hong Kong's 2007 statutory ban, and introducing No-MSG recipes.
3. 2025–2026 Third-Generation Leadership Transition & Authentic ICRIS Barcodes
In April 2025, Fairwood completed a structured generational leadership transition: Mr. Dennis Lo Hoi Yeung was re-designated as Non-Executive Chairman; his son Mr. Francis Lo Fai Shing (羅輝承) became Vice Chairman, Executive Director, and Authorized Representative; and Ms. Peggy Lee Biqi (李碧琦) was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO). These governance updates and subsequent annual filings are verified by the following official ICRIS barcodes:
| Entity & CR No. | Filing Date | Form Code | Official Document Title | Pages | ICRIS Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAIRWOOD HOLDINGS LIMITED (F0005151) | 2026-11-05 | Form NN3 | Annual Return of Registered Non-Hong Kong Company (2026) | 14 | 22903136211 |
| FAIRWOOD HOLDINGS LIMITED (F0005151) | 2026-11-05 | REG_REF | Audited Financial Statements / Accounts (2026) | 179 | 22903136212 |
| FAIRWOOD HOLDINGS LIMITED (F0005151) | 2026-04-17 | Form NN7 | Return of Change of Company Secretary and Director (Non-HK Co.) | 3 | 22002015944 |
| FAIRWOOD HOLDINGS LIMITED (F0005151) | 2025-04-11 | Form NN8 | Return of Change of Authorized Representative (Non-HK Co.) | 3 | 24001806823 |
| FAIRWOOD FAST FOOD LIMITED (0091765) | 2026-04-17 | Form ND2B | Notice of Change in Particulars of Company Secretary and Director | 3 | 22002015934 |
| FAIRWOOD FAST FOOD LIMITED (0091765) | 2026-01-30 | Form NAR1 | Annual Return (2026) | 9 | 23502367793 |
| FAIRWOOD FAST FOOD LIMITED (0091765) | 2025-04-11 | Form ND2A | Notice of Change of Company Secretary and Director (Appointment/Cessation) | 3 | 24001806833 |
| FAIRWOOD FAST FOOD (MANAGEMENT) LIMITED (0293273) | 2025-12-16 | Form NAR1 | Annual Return (2025) | 10 | 22802906363 |
4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Are Fairwood and Café de Coral owned by the same company?
No. Fairwood (00052.HK) and Café de Coral (00341.HK) are completely separate, competing publicly listed companies. However, their founders were brothers from the Lo family of Meixian: Café de Coral was co-founded by eighth brother Victor Lo Tang Seong in 1968, while Fairwood was founded by ninth brother Lo Fong Cheung in December 1972 (and their fourth elder brother Dr. Lo Kwee Seong founded Vitasoy, 00345.HK).
2. What is the Foreign TIN (BRN / UBI) for Fairwood Fast Food Limited on IRS Form W-8BEN-E?
Under Hong Kong's Unique Business Identifier (UBI) regime effective 27 December 2023, the 8-digit Business Registration Number (BRN) serves as the statutory Foreign TIN. For FAIRWOOD FAST FOOD LIMITED (CR No. 0091765), the 8-digit BRN is 07036638 (verified via ICRIS UBI Reference Barcode SH000036707). For the listed parent FAIRWOOD HOLDINGS LIMITED (CR No. F0005151), the 8-digit BRN is 15052709.