Founded in December 1972[1] in the Tsuen Wan district of Hong Kong, its current headquarters are located in North Point.

Since that time, the company has grown to 98 outlets all over Hong Kong (94 fast food, 2 cafes and 2 specialty restaurants) and 13 locations in Mainland China including major cities such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Beijing.

[2] Behind Café de Coral, Fairwood is the second largest fast food chain in Hong Kong and serves over 100,000 customers each day.

By September 1991, when Fairwood made its initial public offering, it had expanded to 52 locations and operated its own facility for processing food in an effort to lower costs and maintain consistency.

[citation needed] The SARS outbreak in 2003 had a negative impact on the fast food industry in Hong Kong and as a result, Fairwood conducted research and subsequently rebranded itself.

The new store concept, designed by Steve Leung and Yasumichi Morita, featured shades of orange, vinyl material, and an overall vibrant look that was intended to increase the restaurant's appeal.

[4] In addition to a visual redesign, Fairwood reformulated and improved its signature dishes and released them under the "Ah Wood" brand.