7 days ago
'What exactly are the rest of us paying for?': Ex-restaurateur questions fairness of home-based cafés
A former restaurant and bar owner has sparked debate over the rise of unlicensed home-based cafés, calling out what he sees as double standards in Singapore's F&B industry.
In a strongly worded LinkedIn post, Mr Ee Chien Chua, who said he ran a licensed eatery and bar for six years, detailed the costs and compliance burdens borne by legitimate food operators: from commercial rent to fire certifications, grease trap maintenance, pest control, and CPF contributions.
Paid leave, inspections, food handler permits -- he said he had done it all by the book.
"So you'll have to forgive me when I say: I don't think this new wave of 'home cafés or restaurants' is a fair game."
His post was written in response to a recent The Straits Times article featuring young brewers operating cafés out of their homes, serving specialty coffee and matcha.
While applauding their entrepreneurial spirit, he questioned the apparent regulatory gap surrounding such setups.
"The rules exist for a reason - for hygiene, for safety, for accountability," he wrote.
"When you invite the public into your home for a paid meal or drink, and you're not licensed or regulated like the rest of us… how is that fair to those trying to survive in the real F&B world?"
He also expressed concern over the perceived lack of enforcement by government agencies, questioning whether authorities were overlooking residential units operating as cafés and bars.
"Where's the consistency? Where's the enforcement?" he wrote, raising questions about liquor licensing, food safety, and whether live-in domestic helpers assisting with food preparation may breach employment regulations.
"This is called: 1. Double standards. 2. Hypocrisy."
He concluded with a pointed question: "If this is okay now… can anyone just turn their home into a restaurant? And if so, what exactly are the rest of us paying for?"
His post struck a chord with many in the F&B industry.
"Fairness and safety can't be optional. The system needs to work for everyone," one commenter wrote.
Another added: "I feel you, brother. I used to run my own venues too. Crazy rent, staff costs, everything. Every month felt like a war."
Some said it was only a matter of time before regulations caught up. "Likely a ban or a very heavy restriction," one predicted.
Others, however, pushed back. One commenter argued that home cafés had clear limitations - lacking scale, street visibility, and walk-in traffic - and often relied on a fragile mix of Instagram orders and goodwill from neighbours.
"It's not that they have an unfair advantage," the person wrote.
"If anything, it shows how inaccessible the 'proper' route has become. Maybe the problem isn't the rules - it's that the rules don't leave room for anyone to start small anymore."
Another called the situation "symptomatic of a broken system", pointing to labour shortages, soaring rent and tax hikes that have left traditional F&B operators struggling.
"Focusing on HBBs [home-based businesses] as villains won't fix any of that," the commenter said.
"What's needed is a serious policy-level rethink of how we support both new and established players."
