Popular Haji Lane craft beer spot Good Luck to bid goodbye to patrons on Dec 31

[SINGAPORE] Popular craft beer haunt Good Luck near Arab Street will pull its last pint at the end of December, the latest in a raft of food and beverage outlets to call it quits.

The pub’s founder Kevin Ngan, in an Instagram post on Dec 1, said the last nine years of business were a ride, and added that things were different when the pub opened in 2016.

“Our mission was simple: Bring in the craft culture, cut the noise and create a spot with genuine soul. We set the bar, and we held it there for close to a decade,” he said. But it was now time to move on, he added, with “no drama, no regrets”.

Ngan added: “We hoped we have provided a solid backdrop for your memories all these years. Thanks for supporting us.

“Please continue to support independent, authentic and soulful spots that keep Haji Lane special.”

The last day of operations for the beer joint, which used to be called Good Luck Beerhouse, will be Dec 31. “Let’s share a final toast. It’s been the best nine years,” said Ngan in the post.

He is also a co-founder of Sake Matsuri, the largest sake festival in Singapore.

He told The Straits Times in 2024 that the local brewing scene had experienced a series of growth spurts and contractions over the past decade, in part because of the restrictions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

His other business ventures included burger spot Good Intentions in Katong, which also served craft beer on the side. It closed a year after it launched in 2021.

In the 2024 report, Ngan cited rising costs of living and the large-scale departure of expatriates as key factors for the decline of the craft beer scene in Singapore.

“The market has shrunk,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that it’s the best period for craft beer development globally.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, in a parliamentary reply in November, said 2,431 food and beverage outlets closed in the first 10 months of 2025.

More than 60 per cent of these outlets were set up five years ago or less. Of these, 82 per cent had never recorded a profit in their annual tax declarations, he added. THE STRAITS TIMES