Only 6 in 10 F&B businesses last beyond 5 years: study

Singapore

ALL those who have ever nursed dreams of opening a small cafe business in Singapore ought to know that it is no walk in the park: Only six in 10 of such smaller food and beverage (F&B) businesses make it past the five-year mark. In raw numbers: almost half the 369 cafes, coffee houses and snack bars registered in 2011 have since closed down.

A study has also found that the average business runs at an annual loss of 8 per cent, and it takes an average of 2 1/2 years to recoup one's initial investment.