Only 4 out of 11 stalls are open: This Bukit Batok food court has been dubbed the 'saddest' in Singapore, Singapore News
Already grappling with low footfall, its remaining stall owners' fortunes took a further hit after a new hawker centre opened next door in March.
Jenny Lim's mixed rice stall, which she runs with her husband, has been a mainstay at the Koufu food court since it opened five years ago.
When asked by AsiaOne on Friday (Aug 15) how much they make in a month, Lim, 57, said: 'Why don't you ask us what our losses are like instead?'
Her answer? A staggering $8,000 in losses each month. She declined to reveal the cost of renting the stall and other operating costs.
A video posted on TikTok on Aug 14 showed the near-empty food court with seven vacant stalls — some of them still bearing their signboards.
'Only drinks, cai fan (economy rice), western and chicken [rice stalls]. The saddest Koufu in Singapore,' said user yokey017 in the caption.
The video has since garnered over 157,000 views and 1,000 likes.
@yokey017 saddest koufu in sg. #singapore ♬ original sound - Gian Hakdog - Raymark
When AsiaOne visited on Aug 15 and 16 during the lunch hour, fewer than 30 diners were seen there.
In contrast, the nearby Bukit Batok West Hawker Centre next door was buzzing with patrons.
Lim told AsiaOne that while business started slow in the first year, it gradually improved as residents from the newly built HDB blocks in Tengah and Bukit Batok began moving in.
But her stall has been making substantial losses since early this year.
While the opening of another food court drew diners away, Lim believes the desolate atmosphere of the food court did not help either.
'There are more flies than people here,' she said. 'No one likes to eat in an empty food court.'
As the longest-surviving stall owners at the food court, Lim and her husband have witnessed a constant turnover of other stalls.
Likening it to a revolving door of vendors coming and going, she said: 'The (Japanese/Korean) stall changed hands more than five times.
'There were also some stalls that choose to continue paying renting, but prefer not to open for business.'
Asked about the future of their stall, Lim said that it is up to Koufu management to decide.
While their lease ends next year, she added that 'if the management ask us to shut, we will shut'.
Tao, who has been managing the Japanese/Korean stall for over a year, is not bothered by the foodcourt's 'saddest' reputation.
'It's true that it has been really quiet here', he said. 'But it can't be helped, we will just continue to run our stalls the best we can.'
Responding to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson for Koufu said that lease for its food court at Le Quest Mall is ending in October.
'We remain committed to serving our customers until the lease concludes,' it added.
Chingshijie@asiaone.com
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