Does Singapore’s F&B industry face an unsustainable future?

BENEATH the surface of Singapore’s vibrant food scene lies a simmering crisis: a high rate of closures in the food & beverage (F&B) sector. What contributes to this trend, and how can restaurateurs adapt to these challenging times?

Singapore had 5,560 restaurants with an industry operating revenue of S$3.85 billion in 2022, according to the most recent data from the Department of Statistics.

But industry operating expenditure was S$3.97 billion – meaning that on average, each restaurant incurred a loss of S$21,000. The last time the restaurant industry had operating revenues greater than expenses was in 2012.