Coronavirus Spells Brutal Valentine’s Day for Shanghai Dining Spots

Bill Hu, founder and CEO of seul & SEUL restaurant, wears a mask and poses for pictures in downtown Shanghai, China, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus, on Feb. 12, 2020. /Aly Song/Reuters

SHANGHAI—As Valentine’s Day nears on Feb. 14, Shanghai restaurant owner Bill Hu finds himself unusually free.

The lights are out at seul & SEUL, his French fine dining spot in a high-end mall in China’s commercial hub, with wine glasses stacked up and the kitchen silent, save for two employees tasked with disinfection duties.