In 2024, 3,047 F&B Businesses shut down — marking the highest number of closures in two decades.
Why do some food businesses thrive while others fail?

If taste is subpar while price keep being simply raised regularly, it wont be a surprise to close shop.

what's the summary?

i guess is super high rent + labor cost

it's already happening here also... sunway and subang few places i went makan, owner also said rental increased so had to increased the food price, but too high not many would want to frequent the eateries already.

Well landlords wanna make moar, stall owners wanna make moarr... we wanna eat moarr...

end up all lose when the system collapse and reset... then all go back mamak while waiting for everything to cool down back.

There are always T1 mekdi dribers going around who will always be able to afford food at any price even up to 100 per bowl.

Well, that also was said many times that this is the Chinese issue- but many bajingan MCA2.0 will vehemently deny this fact, even use fakeass statistics and vague, DEI-like AI bot answers to falsely refuse that we Chinese culturally doing that.

In reality its just chicken or egg question swhere if either the Chinese landlords that raised the prices first or the Chinese end product seller raised prices 1st before either of them raised their prices - hence causing a domino chain effect of inflation.

Its like every half year that end product prices rises, and by start of every year rental price will increase one. These idiots only know how to push the blame to the previous government (despite current ones are doing encouraging this even more) or global export countries in order to mask what we said as culture.

on a slight tangent, i haz a friend in a singapore law firm whose bread n butter is bankruptcies. she says biz is gooooood.

So capitalism like usual?

i thinks its good, cause it shows more people are wiilling to cook at home. Save money like that

with their current wages, a meal from $3 to $5, they already complaining foods are too expensive.

rental and labour cost
not only sg, but many countries as well

Change of lifestyle post Covid.

went to Clarke Quay singapore the tourist food street damn topkek u can order any kind of food western/chinese/japanese/mamak from same shop but then they will sub the order from other shop and u have to wait because they bring the food from other shop, but they make it like their shop cook the food, still u can tell the fakeness because how can a ramen shop sell mamak food, the kitchen must be havoc

F&b business has low barrier of entry. Many new comers every year and about 90% will fail in the first 3 years.

Many people mistake the ability to cook with the ability to do bisnes. Both r vastly different skill sets.

this is the actual reason...and people start to speak out

Home based food biz can lower down cost.

HDB business cannot hire worker...a lot of rules to adhere to

because sleazy landlords lah lol

soon nothing but expensive restaurant left. patron by billionaires who bought all the property in Singapore.

Singapore F&B businesses survived Covid, only to be killed by rising costs and competition, with thousands closing

2,465 businesses ceased operations, with an average of 274 closures per month, says Knight Frank
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/property/s...ousands-closing

This post has been edited by Phoenix_KL: Aug 15 2025, 05:08 PM

high rental & operating cost ....

thats why malaysia so many roadside stall .... no rental no tax .... hnnnnnghhhh

The rental is killing the F&B, just see Hai Di Lao also close down clark quay outlet

As i know government punya hawker stall pun can bid until $3-10k depending on location, singapore housing inflation is so freaking high

Just capitalist at work, F&B is tough to begin with, in SG with the high operational cost (rental & labour) gg ... Malaysia also can see many F&B cafe/ restaurant/ even fast food chain come and go

no originality.
collect all foods from over the world and price it premium.

Daffak, like this oso can simpang to sarahan bajingan cinadapigs? Dude, have you ever considered charging rental fees at them for staying in your head 24/7/365? 🤣🤣🤣

so ironic when the owners became Singapore richest and bought property.

AI. Owai wrong topic

SG F&B prices reli cant make it

it might seem expensive, but actually their rent even more expensive.

JB food easily can be similar price , around 80 % of SG price . steam fish in SG dai chow cost only around SGD 20, but in JB order one steam fish at normal non airconditioned dai chow is RM60 and above.

but the difference? JB rent , salaries are way cheaper. so theyre paying rent and salary at 30-50% but charging at 80% of SG price.

singaporean come to JB got mindset of whatever must be cheap , so they willingly spend in JB ... sometimes dun even know that the price is just slightly cheaper.... or actually even more expensive. but with that mindset, they splurge , because already set in their mind today i go in JB i go money changer exchange SGD 500 to MYR 1500+ , must spend it all.

This post has been edited by Knnbuccb: Aug 15 2025, 06:40 PM

singapore hawker, one bowl sell 4 to 5 dollars, rent 3-10k

JB hawker, one bowl sell rm7 to rm13, rent 3-10k (overestimation to make it "fair")

which one win?

This post has been edited by Knnbuccb: Aug 15 2025, 06:45 PM

lol , thats funny. a lot of sinkapo ppl are landlords

when they landlord, they have no problem charging a lot for one bed space etc.

then when a meal is $3 to $5, they make noise. guess how the prices rise.......


This post has been edited by Knnbuccb: Aug 15 2025, 06:49 PM

better become cleaner. guaranteed 1 mth bonus

Even the existing hawker also cannot tahan at Singapore, just see how many F&B closed down compare to JB side.

Too much of money flowing into Singapore, until recently my auntie saw angmoh expatriate appear in/out at her HDB condo last year, private side condo rental increase is freaking high

Sorry if hawker rent from government at $3k, cannot hire foreigners, must hire singaporean or PR. Short of manpower also killing them and they can't produce much, most of it hire one staff or one leg kick type of hawker. That's why the normal kopitiam is charging $8-10k per stall and able to hire Malaysian to work, in order to speed up the process.

Plus their gas has increase by 140%, Malaysia still can use the subsidize gas at RM28 for 14kg. Malaysia still can use foreign workers with about RM2k+ salary, Singapore one they limit the foreigners working permit.

Now Singapore is hoping RTS to build asap to export their property inflation into JB, once this RTS out, those F&B and service sector in singapore confirm lagi jialat, they will cross to JB and spend money there more often.

let me guess, greedy landlords right?

delivery also dying

actually my thinking is , once RTS up, initially the service and F&B sector will be hit

then business start not renting properties

landlord start to pee in their pants coz need to service loans but no rental income coming in

then by default the rent will come down


btw how come stals are able to hire malaysian to work alongside 1 local boss?

i tot need to hire 2 locals for 1 malaysian?

This post has been edited by Knnbuccb: Aug 15 2025, 07:10 PM

Same money cannot fill tummy.

No, no 2nd time.

Yes u are right, 2 local staff = 1 working permit quota. But for one singapore boss can hire only 1 working permit workers.

Partially also because Singapore tighten their immigrant rules just to protect the singapore citizen, end up the salary inflation hit them too, chicken and egg problem. Back in year 2022 when Malaysia bukake, shortage of workers until salary spike up so high. Now everything stabilize with the influx of foreign workers.

deleted

This post has been edited by ecrl: Aug 15 2025, 08:17 PM

Kek.
RTS = GG sg locals.

For every F&B business that closes in sinkieland, another opens.

F&B is fairly structured. 120 hawker centres (and new ones open with new HDB estates). Rest are restaurants either at certain popular locations or at malls.

Imagine 1 hour waiting time for Chagee which is common at popular malls. Its really dependent on location and trends. Holland V used to be very popular in the past, now tastebuds shift elsewhere.

Main one is rent increase.

like this one chicken rice stall in subang lah, one of the good one last time, but when he started not feeling well and let the helpers do all the stuff, quality down the drain, summore LL raised the rental to 50%, he raised the price per serving to 20%, now very less customer already since price goes up + taste go down

Landlords abit psycho since Covid. Its like they believe the hype that they can raise to perpetuity

Some time back I went to my old pet store and asked how he did during Covid. He said ok but landlord never give discount and even increased the year post covid. You dont want he said many more ppl want to come in. The owner joke with the landlord i thought only gloves untung during covid, you know what the asshole said. Wah doesnt mean i cannot get a piece of the pie ler, glove untung, essential untung i also have to find a way to untung

Macam god given right liao to profiteer

MishimaZ sounds familiar or not this type of righteous fucked up behaviour? kek

This post has been edited by 9m2w: Aug 18 2025, 09:39 AM

you think tukar government to either dog or pig
your landlord wont naik harga meh

pkmk hkc LL . real parasites of the society.

may all these cbk LL end up finish their profits to hospitals.

which is mostly are true.

talking about roadside stall

sometimes I wonder how they do maths one

even roadside stall paying RM0 rental selling chicken rice for freaking rm8

partially are funding for majlis confiscation fee.

But first mover or old timer can pull this off. They bought prime location and for cheaper and most probably finish up paying in the case of some

They can afford to pick and choose, raise and sit on it

New fellas that jump on the bandwagon good luck la. Unless you do the sublet and partition the hell out of the place for condo units.

best thing is, some fellas really trust the ads from developer GUARANTEED ROI 7% lulz

partition also if like coffin size going for rm1K what for ? no other things to do beside work? we are not even HK level yet when roadsider cleaner can get RM7-RM8k celery

Tenancy agreement got One, two or three years.

Usual for Restaurant and or Kopitiam owners to sign three year agreement if they are doing great. This locking in the rent and profit from it, and just keep saying landlord raise price.

Fyi, also it is common for landlords to rent out at different tiered prices. Or if they are not doing tiered.... Only renting at the highest market price. Every five months will have tenant given up and the next one comes in. Pretty waste of time. However not every restaurant will have enough baseline business to even survive one.

Which one?

Very familiar lo... Kan always got post about our behavior til those usual triggered apologists angrily retorted on how much of a racist or how or*n I am just because I stated that is basically as it is.

Only said its cultural, whether you picked the term canines or dogs, its still the same species.

For rental market, landlords will easily say its "like that one" lor... Mau tak mau got others willing to take it.

For food products, hawkers or stallers will also say "its like that one lor... pork prices rise ma... sikit sikit use babi as defense.

Meanwhile services line, their prices are pretty stagnant.

In the end the most profitable one is those that already owned the shop and also can simply price their food like those famous bakwa shops here.

This post has been edited by MishimaZ: Aug 18 2025, 10:09 AM

Would PROPERTY VACANCY TAX helps to increase supply of rental spaces thus reducing rental cos can see there r many abandoned or empty buildings? Roadside hawkers should also be encouraged to move to these spaces.

This post has been edited by MGM: Aug 18 2025, 10:10 AM

kan ada Madani Kiosk

genuine Q

madani kiosk can sell non halal food or not?

Prive Group closes all its restaurants; Far East-backed Commonwealth Concepts takes over 2 outlets

The restaurant operator cites external market challenges and rising operational costs as reasons for closure
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/singapore/...tlets?flyingspaghettimonster=pulse

Rich country kenot afford price increase meh

In Malaysia, I think fnb very hard to die one. I think the only thing that will kill fnb is low income like in China. No one eat out anymore. Those that go are people that uses big discount and vaucher.

Maybe their high car price eat away their spending power?

“Rich country” can only afford car meh

One closes, another opens. What I am seeing now are F&B is pivoting towards low-priced buffets, be it bbq, ala-carte, steamboat etc. All sub $30/pax. Always big crowds. Those like Hai Di Lao that charges per dish, very hard to fight. Also a lot of PRC F&B businesses. Otherwise for my wife, who’s a LL herself, she rents to education-related businesses, e.g. child care, tuition. Such businesses always do well and not affected by change of tastebud.

Maybe the rich don't eat in normal fnb but only in high end restaurant.

Everyday high end meh

Unker also wont everyday eat abalone

Sometimes will find siham 😂

Why didnt they bought the unit in the first place?

A cup kopi susu $1.20, with roti sekaya $3.50...

How many cup need to sell to coup rental cost of $8000/m..

As if you do not ask nor expect a timely pay raise for yourself.
For one, all cukai pintu, utilities, duty etc were raised exponentially in recent years. You cannot run from the pass down. Get real mate

I did not know only Chinese raised price and not other Indian and melayu businessmen as you claimed here

Now business operators need to buffer-in eventual 29 days closure cost 🫣

This post has been edited by jojolicia: Sep 2 2025, 09:08 AM

Do you think bijan eat in normal reataurant majority of his meals or chef Wan type of elite private kitchen.

This post has been edited by samftrmd: Sep 2 2025, 09:25 AM

There are Michelin star restaurant that close down. Latest casualty is Prive - food so-so, yet expensive. As it is now, the profit is in mass-market affordable food.


It's easier to fork out $10K-20K/mth in rent compare to buying a unit for $2m-$3m. If your business doesn't work, you can exit and cut losses. Plus, some of the shop owners are either government, real estate firms or even family-owned, which was bought many years ago. Rental returns are easily 40-50% of purchase price.

Sub par food at sky high prices, justify with high rent and staff salary, not based on demand of course la like this. And if Malaysians so stupid to follow the singkies then if their f&b fail what's so surprising?

Actually in Singapore is really competitive and cut throat. If your food suck then people will not go and can expect to tutup. I can see a few shops just open then suddenly close.

RIP hawker culture.

Msia will be next if we dun safeguard them.

When rental increase, they can't just simply increase their price to cover the cost. So really not surprise most of them can't survive.

Singkie food suda suck. How to even suck below Singkie food standard.






Singkie pipur really have bad taste from the start.







Close up sendiri masak di rumah but buruk bland tasteless cooks, lebey baek makan roti or biskut forever not like Singkiepork ada mamak every street and corner macam di Mahrehsia.

It's high time gov implement rent control. Else this will go overboard and soon everyone will be homeless.

Singapore mamak very little. Hard to find.

But in general food in Singapore a little bland.

Ramly burger is ban. And I got to know why they don't have good fok kin mee (black one) becuase the sauce we use in malaysia is also ban.

However Singapore got pretty good food also. I like their nasi padang.

For sure if you go for high class food like Michelin then cannot fight la.

How many bijan level ppl we have ah?

Nowadays cannot say that anymore, cause most of the chef/cook is from Malaysia

I don't know, but I guess Singapore has a lot.

Singapore food suppliers hit by months-long payment delays as F&B crisis deepens
https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/compa...ns-4940702.html

American tourists say Singapore food is too expensive and 'not for the poor'

On Sept. 11, Pernell posted a video from Newton Food Center captioned: "Singapore got me paying US$35 for food... meanwhile Malaysia got the same vibes for half the price. Which one y'all picking?"

The couple ordered 10 sticks of satay, stir-fried beef, and a large plate of egg fried rice, with the bill coming to about S$45, Asia One reported.
https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/food-re...or-4941197.html

I blame the stubborn patrons who still buy & eat overpriced food.

jb

Because fcuk JB and Mount Austin food prices

bedok food court
years back while on secondment
got one prawn mee seller damn nice
go late finish type
always crowded, got long queue....and it'll grow

new ppl come to the food court dunno what to eat.....where you think they'll line up
there you go

whereas others of similar noodles biz, if sub par or not popular, no customer
I will try these stalls (only when my fav are either closed or finish)......it's tough being #2, 3, 4,

that saying "if shop empty or not many ppl order maybe not nice" seems to echo throughout the market, throughout the island too perhaps


in a nutshell
real estate is killing FnB
sadly

usd 1 = sgd 1.28 killing Singapore

Well, people simply raise prices, then supported by FOMO oriented people, plus racial defenders of price raising culture that is like a clockwork.

Bubble tea brand Gong Cha shuts all outlets in Singapore ahead of 2026 relaunch

The company said it had ended its current franchise deal and would relaunch in Singapore with "new local franchisees" under a global revamp.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/g...ngapore-5381391

because of all taste bud are from Malaysi prefer strong taste of food, while Sinkapork original food have no taste

Why Singaporeans are flocking to Malaysia’s Johor for food and leisure

Singapore residents made more than 11 million trips across the causeway in the first seven months of this year, fuelling a retail boom
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-cu...ood-and-leisure

It's probably the same reason Shenzhen is killing HK food biz

Here averagely already RM5 - 8, but fresh grad salary comparison is SGD4K - 5K vs RM2.5K - 3.2K

kekwa msian... ketagih makan luar is real i guess. U keep going, they keep increasing.

got few friends in fnb restaurant, must have strong business sense, not just ur food tasty. more like how to manage cost, without diminish food quality. ur restaurant profit can fluctuate monthly but once it reach ath likely ur not seeing that figure anymore for sometime, the ony way to earn more is to branch out to reach more customer. sometimes do grab, but have to manage extra kitchens to cater delivery which will incur more cost and unforseen profit, its a tough line of business thats why most hawkers just stick being hawker even if there are 100 ppl queing to buy their food

Singapore shoppers lose another Japanese store as Daiso to close 100 AM outlet.

The closure follows the recent shutdown of the 100 AM Muji outlet on November 25, highlighting a trend of Japanese retail stores scaling back in Singapore.

Another Japanese retailer, Isetan announced on December 9 that it would close its Nex mall outlet in April 2026, leaving only its Scotts Road branch in Singapore.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/singapore/20...m-outlet/201986

they say killing but the malls occupancy still near 100% means what? they just cannot compete with the mainland Chinese lah.

watch this, then you know the gist of it
Bulatan 128 (dramamama food court singapura), dont sked vailus la, legit one - foc somore if sked, jewtoob also can watch
lagi muhibah than our lokal produksi

i watched a video yesterday explaining it and i think its pretty accurate, its mainly because of ultra rich china ppl all flocking to singapore because singapore is a safe haven, they buy up all the luxury properties in sg and make sg as their second home, so when these ultra rich china ppl come to singapore, they also want high class food and entertainment to accompany them when they are at sg, so those big famous china brands are also flocking to sg and opening many branches in sg, they are willing to pay double or sometimes triple the rent to rent in famous malls and prime locations, hence the local singaporean businesses cannot tahan and have to close down,
and this will have secondary effect on the overall market in sg, things will be more expensive in the future because those businesses are already paying very high rent and will increase their prices in the future

in the end the middle class suffer even more