Hong Kong actress Natalie Tong (唐詩詠) has found success recently with her new bakery, 33 Cubread. The quaint shop in Causeway Bay in Hong Kong sees thousands of customers daily, including some who flew from Malaysia.
According to new reports, the store recently saw an increase in traffic following its soft launch in late October. Most recently, hundreds of customers lined up around the block, with the queue stretching past five neighbouring stores. The bakery, which specialises in Japanese-style toast, also had to increase production and now sells 1,000 loaves of bread. However, that isn’t enough to keep up with the growing demand.
The bakery’s popularity is thanks to its owner, Natalie. The former TVB star often drops by the store during her free time, so fans regularly visit to catch a glimpse of the star. Those who have met Natalie at the store praised her work ethic and diligence. However, since the actress often comes to work barefaced, she jokingly asked fans to take prettier pictures of her or help edit them to make her look better.
The 43-year-old also thanked the many customers for their support, saying, “The queue is getting longer and longer. At first, it was people working nearby, and now, people are coming from Macau, Shenzhen and Malaysia to support. I’m really thankful for everyone.” Natalie also said the store is looking into ways to ensure everyone can taste the bread, including limited purchases per customer and increasing supply.
However, Natalie said the bakery doesn’t plan on expanding just yet because she wants to ensure this current outlet succeeds before adding a new store. In addition, the actress clarified her status as an actress, saying she only works at the bakery during her free time, so she isn’t retiring from acting just yet. Natalie adds that she has received several scripts for upcoming projects, so she’ll likely start filming soon.
We congratulate Natalie and the team at 33 Cubread for their growing success. May their business continue to bloom and hopefully expand to more outlets.
