Latest news with #CrystalJade
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Singapore restaurateurs flee rising costs for cheaper lifeline in Johor Bahru
SINGAPORE, July 30 — Struggling with high rents and labour shortages, Singaporean restaurateurs are turning to Johor Bahru for relief, drawn by lower costs and the hope of reviving their businesses. Hyderabadi chef Govinda Rajan, who opened his first Malaysian branch of Mr Biryani just three months ago, is already eyeing expansion, calling it a much-needed lifeline as his Singapore outlets battle to survive, the South China Morning Post reported. Across the city state, food and beverage (F&B) businesses are closing at the fastest rate in nearly 20 years, with 3,047 establishments shutting down in 2024 alone. This year has already seen 1,404 closures in the first half, including long-time favourites like Crystal Jade's Holland Village branch and Michelin-starred Poise. Govinda and others say while ingredients in Malaysia may be pricier, the overall costs — from rent to wages — are far more manageable, helping restore profitability. Singapore's tight foreign worker policies and locals' aversion to service jobs have further strained the sector, leaving many businesses short-staffed and financially squeezed. Temasek Polytechnic's Geoffrey Tai said more operators are expanding regionally to escape Singapore's high overheads and tap into growing middle-class markets like Malaysia. Lower operating costs have helped restaurateurs like Keith Koh, who opened a Muslim-friendly outlet of Lad & Dad in Kuala Lumpur in May, rediscover their passion and reduce burnout. Still, Singapore saw 3,790 new F&B openings last year and nearly 2,000 more in the first half of 2025, though industry insiders warn many are underestimating the risks. Chef-owner Bjorn Shen, who has expanded to Penang and Bali, said profits of 20–30 per cent are achievable abroad, compared to 5–7 per cent at best in Singapore, where most new restaurants fail within two years.
Independent Singapore
21-07-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Johor Bahru called a lifeline for Singapore's struggling food businesses
SINGAPORE: It has been widely reported that many eateries in the Little Red Dot have been having a difficult time due to high rentals, manpower issues, rising ingredient costs, and other reasons. For a city that has made a reputation for itself as a foodie haven where delicious and affordable food is abundant, this has been a cause for no small concern. A report last week in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), however, says that Johor Bahru, the Malaysian state closest to Singapore, is offering a 'lifeline' of sorts to struggling eateries, providing food business owners an opportunity to continue serving up delicious meals. The report cited the high number of restaurant closures in Singapore in the past year and a half. In 2024, 3,047 eateries shut down, the highest number in nearly two decades. And this year, 1,404 food businesses folded between January and June. Among the notable eateries that are now gone are established names such as Eggslut, Burger & Lobster, and Manhattan Fish Market, as noted by the SCMP . In addition, Wala Wala Cafe Bar also shut its doors, as has the 20-year-old Holland Village branch of Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao. See also Even PRCs file complaints against their own locally made lifts The main attraction of Johor Bahru, and indeed the rest of Malaysia, for Singaporean food businesses is the affordability of both manpower and rent. This gives eateries a chance not just to survive but to thrive, even though the restaurateurs SCMP spoke to said they recognise that ingredients are costlier in Malaysia. For example, Govinda Rajan, who opened a Mr Biryani outlet in Johor Bahru last April, told SCMP that in Singapore, his priority had stopped being profitability and had shifted to survival. Not that the food business is slowing down in Singapore itself, as more F&B establishments opened than closed last year. In 2024, 3,793 new outlets opened, the second highest in more than 30 years. The Singapore Business Review reported on Jul 17 that in 2023, there were 22,747 licensed food establishments in the city-state, which is the highest number ever. It added, 'The risk of oversupply is no longer theoretical.' See also Cigarette-smuggling doesn't pay: Record $34m fine for Singaporean Moreover, in a commentary published last week in Channel NewsAsia, former restaurant owner Chua Ee Chien asked whether it's time to change Singapore's F&B rules. 'Licensed F&B outlets shoulder an enormous burden well before serving their first customer. Rent in prime locations can exceed S$20,000 monthly. You don't have to run a fancy fine-dining joint for fit-out costs to reach six figures. There are various regulatory requirements that businesses must meet across agencies, such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Singapore Food Agency (SFA), National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), and Building and Construction Authority (BCA). 'On top of that, daily costs are compounded by things like utilities, safety inspections, staff training and wages, Central Provident Fund contributions, pest control, professional fees, regulatory delays, and so on.' /TISG Read also: 'Retailers, hawkers and restaurants need to survive' — KF Seetoh says Urban Hawker NYC costs less to run than Orchard Road, MBS food halls See also Singapore is 6th best city in the world for billionaires
South China Morning Post
18-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Is Singapore's food scene at a crossroads? Malaysia beckons as restaurateurs prize survival
In Johor Bahru, just across the border from Singapore , restaurateur Govinda Rajan is eyeing expansion. It has been only three months since he opened his first Malaysian outlet of Mr Biryani, but the veteran chef is already planning his next move. Back home, however, he paints a far bleaker picture, saying that his Singapore restaurants in Little India and Siglap are struggling to stay afloat amid soaring rents, labour shortages and shrinking consumer spending. Govinda had launched Mr Biryani in 2018, offering Singaporeans a Hyderabadi version of the beloved rice dish. 'Don't talk about profit margins any more, surviving is the priority now,' Govinda, 56, told This Week in Asia. He is not alone. Across Singapore, food and beverage (F&B) businesses are closing at the fastest rate in nearly two decades. A total of 3,047 establishments shut their doors in 2024, the highest figure since 2005's 3,352 closures. The casualties to date range from beloved neighbourhood fixtures to big-name international chains – among them, Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao's 20-year-old Holland Village branch, the Michelin-starred Poise on Teck Lim Road, and foreign franchises such as Eggslut, Manhattan Fish Market and Burger & Lobster.
CNA
14-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
Commentary: As more restaurants shut, is it time to rethink Singapore's F&B rules?
SINGAPORE: We've all seen the headlines: Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao closes after 20 years in Holland Village. Wala Wala Cafe Bar ends its 32-year run. Ang Yong Seh, the 65-year-old co-owner of Xin Ming Road Bak Kut The dies after working 18-hour days to pay off COVID-19 pandemic debts. And in their shadow, a growing number of home-based food and beverage (F&B) businesses are flourishing. As at June 2025, more than 150 F&B businesses in Singapore are operating out of residential properties, from Housing and Development Board flats to landed homes. From cafes like Knead Kopi in Bukit Timah to informal eateries like Little Social in Tanjong Pagar, these home-based players are popping up all over the island. Meanwhile, each week seems to bring news of yet another licensed F&B establishment closing. Licensed F&B owners have voiced concerns of an uneven playing field, saying they shoulder high overheads, strict regulatory checks and multiple agency approvals, while many home-based operators face far fewer compliance obligations. They question whether current regulations are keeping up with the realities of Singapore's F&B landscape. THE WEIGHT OF COMPLIANCE Before the pandemic, Ang Yong Seh's stall was struggling to meet monthly costs including S$9,000 in rent and S$4,000 in employee salaries. During COVID-19, daily revenue sometimes dropped to just S$100 a day. Over three years, this accumulated into more than S$100,000 in debt, even though he worked seven days a week, taking only four days off during Chinese New Year. Kanada-Ya's parent company cited similar pressures when placing the ramen chain's Singapore subsidiaries under creditors' voluntary liquidation – 'challenging conditions of Singapore's F&B sector, including elevated operating costs and soft consumer spending patterns'. Despite signature menu items like black garlic ramen that initially drew crowds, the chain couldn't survive. As a former restaurant owner, I can tell you that licensed F&B outlets shoulder an enormous burden well before serving their first customer. Rent in prime locations can exceed S$20,000 monthly. You don't have to run a fancy fine-dining joint for fit-out costs to reach six figures. There are various regulatory requirements that businesses must meet, across agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Singapore Food Agency (SFA), National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and Building and Construction Authority (BCA). On top of that, daily costs are compounded by things like utilities, safety inspections, staff training and wages, Central Provident Fund contributions, pest control, professional fees, regulatory delays, and so on. THE HOME ADVANTAGE Meanwhile, home-based food businesses operate in a seemingly parallel universe of minimal oversight. Consider Lucky House Cantonese Private Kitchen, run by Sam Wong from an East Coast terraced house. Charging S$130 a person and booked solid until March 2026, this operation serves up to 30 diners a night, five nights a week. That′s 150 paying customers weekly, generating just over S$1 million annually from a residential property that is neither licensed nor zoned for dine-in operations. Any other business earning more than S$1 million annually would be required to register for Goods and Services Tax (GST), report taxes quarterly and comply with a range of regulatory obligations. Operating as a home-based business exempts F&B players like Lucky House from SFA licensing, regular inspections and the full weight of commercial regulations. The regulatory blind spots extend further. In June, Raymond Leong, who runs Peranakan home-dining business Ampang Kitchen from a semi-detached house, admitted he was unaware that domestic helpers are not allowed to assist with home business activities. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of employment law that licensed establishments would never be permitted to ignore. PLAYING FIELD MUST BE LEVELLED Singapore has gained a reputation for being a country of regulations. We've also gained international admiration as a food haven blending multicultural identity and innovation. So when we lose local F&B players, we lose pieces of the Singaporean story as well as the physical spaces where our shared culture lives and breathes. The current regulatory framework may be well-intentioned, but we must be careful that it doesn't undermine F&B players' ability to survive, let alone thrive. I know this strain intimately. When I ran the now-defunct Jekyll & Hyde in Tanjong Pagar, we encountered unexpected zoning restrictions that resulted in a temporary shutdown, despite repeated efforts to comply with requirements. My experience is but one example of how navigating the ins and outs of compliance can be a significant source of financial strain. For smaller F&B operators especially, each round of clarification or modification can translate into lost revenue, disrupted staffing and uncertainty over long-term viability. It may be worth considering if the industry needs a tiered regulatory framework that scales requirements according to business scope and impact. Similar to how GST registration is tied to each business's revenue thresholds, perhaps it would be more useful to require small-scale F&B operations to comply with lighter or fewer regulations. Businesses serving significant numbers of customers or generating substantial revenue could face tiered requirements for licensing, safety compliance and zoning adherence – standards according to scale. It would also be a great help to see more government intervention in the problem of rising rents. For instance, could the authorities collaborate with landlords on rent stabilisation mechanisms, or co-invest in public space activation to boost foot traffic? The goal of this would not be to prop up underperforming businesses, but rather to preserve a vibrant F&B ecosystem where players with proven track records don't collapse under avoidable constraints. It seems only fair to expect that regulations don't inadvertently favour one group over another. More importantly, they shouldn't place an undue burden on businesses that are already making every effort to comply with both the spirit and letter of the law.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bao Er Cafe's new outlet in Holland Village brings old-school charm & kaya toast magic
As we bid farewell to veterans like Crystal Jade and Wala Wala Cafe Bar, Holland Village is welcoming a nostalgic new addition, and it smells like toast and wok hei. Bao Er Cafe, known for drawing long queues at its Balestier flagship, is now bringing its beloved local fare to the heart of Holland Village. What's new: Larger space, 70 pax seating Extended hours: 7am – 10pm Slight price increases Slated to open on 1 Jul at 24A Lorong Mambong, this 2nd outlet comes with more seats, longer hours, and a prime location in the west-central belt. Currently, there are no new items planned for Bao Er Cafe's new outlet due to manpower constraints. The menu remains the same as their OG Balestier outlet for the time being. No complaints here as we love Bao Er Cafe's signature dishes! Their best-selling Butter Toast Set (S$6) (S$5 at Balestier) includes 4 golden, crisp toast halves generously slathered with house-made coconut kaya and cold slabs of butter. It's served alongside 2 soft-boiled eggs and a kopi or teh of your choice. Their kaya has a custard-like richness and a just-sweet-enough profile that pairs beautifully with the salted butter. Can't get enough of it? Bao Er Cafe also sells their by the jar at S$7.50 for 250ml, for your everyday breakfast. Another fan favourite is the Signature Deluxe Hokkien (S$10.80) (S$9 at Balestier), a seafood-laden spin on their classic version. Prawns, squid and even scallops come tossed in an umami-rich gravy that coats each strand of noodle, all kissed with that coveted wok hei. Pro tip: stir in their tangy, house-made chilli for a zesty kick. With this 2nd outlet, Bao Er Café hopes to be more accessible to customers with its west-central location. Whether you're craving kaya toast at 8am or wok hei noodles by noon, Bao Er Cafe's new outlet is more than ready to deliver. 11 best stalls at Holland Village Food Centre worth hollering about The post Bao Er Cafe's new outlet in Holland Village brings old-school charm & kaya toast magic appeared first on
