Singaporean laments soaring rents forcing food stalls to close despite efforts to offer affordable meals
The post, written by consultant and professional speaker Indera Tasripin, has sparked discussion on social inequality and landlord practices affecting small vendors.
Indera recounted his dismay upon learning that a well-regarded Malay food stall in a Woodlands coffee shop—popular for traditional dishes such as mee siam and mee rebus—was preparing to cease operations due to an unsustainable rent hike.
He noted that despite the stall's efforts to maintain affordable pricing for nearby HDB residents, the owner had reached a breaking point under the weight of rising costs.
'For the past two months, the stall owner said they have not been able to cope with the rent increase to S$8,000,' Indera wrote.
He added that similar stories were emerging from other vendors, many of whom are paying between S$5,000 and S$6,000 and struggling to stay afloat.
In his post, Indera questioned whether such rental levels were reasonable, describing them as 'pure robbery and injustice.'
He expressed disbelief that even his peers in larger media agencies and enrichment centres were not subjected to such exorbitant rates for more spacious premises.
Calling the situation a form of 'bullying,' Indera appealed to National Development Minister Desmond Lee and Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC Member of Parliament Hany Soh, urging them to address what he described as long-standing inequality facing coffee shop vendors.
He called for regulations to prevent landlords from imposing excessive rents on small stallholders, warning that the current system leaves vendors powerless against market forces.
Indera also criticised the contradiction of government initiatives that require food vendors to offer healthier, affordable meals—priced around S$3 to S$3.50—while allowing unregulated rental practices to persist.
'These are deep-seated problems that humble vendors have little control over,' he wrote. 'I don't even think this stall owner knows what lies ahead for him.'
Describing the vendor's expression as one of resigned defeat, Indera concluded his post with a plea: 'We should not allow this kind of unethical rent hike to continue.'
Comments on the post echoed Indera's concerns, with several netizens pointing out that the high cost of rent has made it impossible for small operators to survive.
'That's why nowadays you only see the same old brands creeping into neighbourhood hawkers,' one user said. 'Only the big players can afford.'
Others shared examples of extreme rental hikes from across Singapore.
A stall at a Yishun void deck reportedly pays S$3,500 in monthly rent, while another in Hougang, post-renovation, is charged S$8,000—resulting in long-time vendors giving up their stalls.
Indera proposed that regulatory frameworks, including a possible rent control act and stricter oversight by the Housing & Development Board (HDB), be considered. 'Can't let this fester,' he wrote.
Rent inflation paints an alarming picture of F&B closures in Singapore
Separately, the issue of rising commercial rent has also been examined in a detailed opinion piece by Zat Astha, Editor-in-Chief of The Peak magazine.
In All hail the landlord: Spike in F&B closures demand closer look, Zat presents an alarming picture of closures across the F&B sector due to rent inflation.
According to Zat, prime retail rents surged by 3.0% year-on-year in 2024, reaching S$27.80 per square foot per month. This was followed by another 0.6% increase in the first quarter of 2025.
These hikes have contributed to the closure of over 300 F&B outlets per month in 2025, according to Reuters, representing more than ten business shutdowns each day.
Zat cited the case of Flor Patisserie, which shuttered two outlets in 2024 following a 57% rental hike. Other prominent closures include Michelin-starred restaurants like Art di Daniele Sperindio and Braci, as well as multiple tenants exiting Parkway Parade Mall, including Marks & Spencer.
He criticised landlords for choosing to leave units empty rather than lowering rents to accommodate community-focused businesses.
'We like to call these tragic losses. But in truth, they are merely the natural conclusion of a system we chose decades ago,' he wrote.
Zat proposed two broad categories of solutions: legislative and moral. Legislative actions would involve rent controls and vacancy taxes for landlords holding out for high-profit tenants.
Moral solutions include encouraging wealthy investors to provide 'patient capital' that supports community values rather than short-term gains.
However, Zat expressed scepticism about the feasibility of such reforms, noting that they would require a fundamental shift in Singapore's deeply entrenched economic pragmatism.
'Do we, as a society, have the stomach for policies that openly favour social good at the expense of profit?' he asked, noting the likely resistance from landlords, economists, and political circles.
Zat warned that the disappearance of small, passion-driven businesses is not simply an economic casualty but a cultural one.
He argued that the shift toward profit-maximising tenants has eroded the community spirit that once defined Singapore's food landscape.
'When muffins become too expensive to bake cheaply, when gyms can no longer offer community rates, and when only large chains and venture-funded franchises remain, we haven't merely lost small businesses — we've lost something much larger, something fundamentally irreplaceable,' Zat wrote.
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Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Hawkers say app should be a value-added service by the operator and costs should not be passed on. SINGAPORE – When Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre's management announced it would scrap clauses requiring hawkers to provide free meals for the needy at their own cost, the update was met with relief by hawkers. But many question why they continue to be called upon to provide budget meals and discounts to diners who pay using operator apps. The Pay-it-Forward initiative by Canopy Hawkers Group, which manages the Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centre (SEHC), initially required stallholders to contribute 100 free meals over three years. It was criticised by veteran food critic K.F. Seetoh in an Aug 8 Facebook post that described it as 'forced charity'. 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Hawkers say the app was intended for the convenience of customers and should be a value-added service by the operator. 'Its cost should not be passed on to the tenants,' says John, who has to absorb the 10 per cent discount customers get from the Food Canopy app. On top of that, a credit note shows he is charged a 0.8 per cent transaction fee when payment is made via the app. 'Hawker prices are controlled and many have thin margins due to rising costs. This just makes things harder.' Tenants at other SEHCs, run by FairPrice Group Hawker Centre and Timbre Hawkers, have similar obligations. Customers who pay using the app enjoy a 10 per cent discount on meals at One Punggol Hawker Centre and Yishun Park Hawker Centre, according to Timbre Group's website. 'We lose a thousand dollars every month from the Timbre app,' says a 42-year-old who wanted to be known only as Rahman. He sells rojak and prata at One Punggol. However, he concedes that it was something he had agreed to when signing the contract. Mr Yasser Farag, who runs Arabica Kebab stall in the same centre, was also prepared to offer concessions to customers, though the number of discounts caught him by surprise. 'I knew that I had to keep prices low, but I didn't expect so many people to have the app,' says the 58-year-old, who maintains that his experience at the hawker centre has otherwise been smooth. Another hawker, who is in her late 50s, says prevalent usage of the app costs her around a thousand dollars each month. With the price of ingredients and utilities rising, her earnings have been shaved by a fifth. 'I can't afford to raise prices either, because I empathise with customers,' she adds. Echoing the same sentiment is Ms Kumiko Tan, 44, owner of Hakka Leipopo, a chain with outlets in SEHCs, such as Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre and Punggol Coast Hawker Centre, both run by FairPrice Group. 'Times are hard for everyone. We won't change the price of food to account for the discount,' she says. The cost of her dishes remains consistent across all outlets, even the one at the Tanjong Pagar Town Council-run Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre. Roughly 80 per cent of her customers at Anchorvale Village and Punggol Coast pay with the FairPrice Group app, which yields a 10 per cent discount. She adds: 'I don't think many of them know that the discount is paid for by the store owner. They think maybe it's from the Government or the operator.' Discounts offered through FairPrice Group app on display at Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre. ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK But some hawkers, like a 38-year-old man operating a stall at Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre, feel the 10 per cent cut is fair, as the app helps boost business. 'It's a perk that, in a way, attracts customers,' he says. How cheap is too cheap The discount, however, cannot be applied to budget meals, which are low-cost dishes that tenants at SEHCs are obliged to offer – contractually, in the case of Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre's tenants, at least. At hawker centres operated by FairPrice Group, these affordable options are usually priced between $3 and $3.50, according to checks by ST. Adam (not his real name), a hawker who runs a stall at Hawker Centre @ Our Tampines Hub, says that $3.50 is a manageable price point for budget meals. When ST spoke to him in June 2024 , his budget meals were fixed at $2.80. Back then, a spokesperson for operator FairPrice Group confirmed budget meals at that particular hawker centre cost $2.80, but that the company was conducting a review. Since the budget meal price has increased to $3.50, Adam says it is 'much more reasonable'. 'At least now, I can make around 20 to 30 cents in profit for each meal,' he adds. He previously told ST it was 'impossible to make a profit' from $2.80 meals. According to hawkers, few customers opt for budget meals. Portions tend to be smaller and often omit more expensive proteins such as meat. 'I can't make money off it, but maybe only five to 10 people each month buy my budget meals, so still can tahan (endure in Malay),' says a 45-year-old hawker, who wants to be known only as Hasan, at Buangkok Hawker Centre. But Penang Alley's $3.20 budget meals are snapped up by some 50 customers each month. Mrs Eileen Leong, the 57-year-old owner of the Buangkok Hawker Centre stall, says such meals, which consist of mainly eggs and kway teow, are 'unsustainable'. She tried asking her operator, Fei Siong Social Enterprise, to increase the budget meal price to $4 without success. With operation costs spiking 50 per cent and footfall down three-quarters by her estimates, she is seeking a reprieve. 'I'm hoping the Government can help lighten our burden, and we hope to get more grants to sustain this business,' she says. The National Environment Agency (NEA) told The Straits Times that in 2023, the median monthly stall rental at SEHCs and non-subsidised stalls at comparable NEA-managed hawker centres were $1,700 and $1,625 respectively. Ancillary costs at SEHCs, such as table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing fees, are comparable with similar NEA-managed hawker centres, it added. The agency also assists hawkers financially through schemes such as the Hawkers' Productivity Grant, which provides 80 per cent co-funding for hawkers to buy kitchen automation equipment and digital solutions such as queue management systems. ST has contacted the relevant operators for more information. Timbre Group declined to comment, while the rest have yet to respond.
