Warren Golf & Country Club temporarily closes 3 F&B eateries due to ‘manpower challenges’
[SINGAPORE] Three eateries at Warren Golf & Country Club have temporarily ceased operations from Nov 12 until further notice, according to a notice posted on its Telegram channel.
This follows an Oct 28 notice informing members about its plan to outsource three of its eateries – Golfers’ Terrace, Water Hazard and Starter Hut – to food-specialist operator Jun Hang F&B.
It said the club will work closely with the new operator to minimise disruption to members and guests during the transition period.
“Every effort will be made with Jun Hang to re-employ as many existing F&B (food and beverage) staff as possible. A compensation package will also be provided to affected staff,” it said.
But the new operator, which was supposed to start operations on Nov 12, was unable to do so due to “manpower challenges”, according to another notice posted on Nov 9 around 11pm.
“It now appears that the outsourcing arrangement with Jun Hang will not materialise,” the management committee said.
Two former staff who declined to be named told The Straits Times that 28 F&B staff and an employee from the purchasing department received termination letters on Oct 29. They were not given any severance or retrenchment payouts, and some had worked in the club for more than two decades.
The former employees said they contacted the Attractions, Resorts and Entertainment Union. The union and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) intervened on their behalf and they received retrenchment packages on Nov 10 and 11.
On Nov 10, a reminder notice was put up to inform club members that the Golfers’ Terrace and Water Hazard would close early, at 7pm on Nov 11, and remain closed until further notice.
“I felt sad. Yesterday (Nov 11) was our last day and it was not an easy day for me. It’s not easy to find a job during the November and December period,” a former staff member said.
Mr Glenford Tan, 49, who has been a country club member since he was a child, said the move was “extremely disappointing”. His father and children are club members too.
“We were a community and overnight, the staff are gone. People have lost their livelihoods at the end of the year and they may not be able to find other jobs easily,” he said.
“As members, we are looking for answers on who is responsible and why this happened.”
The golf course, country club and two other eateries, Yan Palace and Italian Patio, remain open.
The club said in its Oct 28 notice that since it took over operations of the three eateries from food manufacturer JR Group in 2017, it has been incurring operating losses every year.
“In 2024 alone, the deficit amounted to S$337,000,” it said, adding that it hoped the new operator could improve the club’s financial position.
This is despite the club having expected to generate about S$15,000 a month in rental income from Jun Hang F&B. The outsourcing contract was awarded to Jun Hang F&B on Oct 1 after a “detailed evaluation process”.
The golf club’s Telegram channel has over 2,000 subscribers.
Jun Hang F&B currently operates the Golfers’ Terraces at Orchid Country Club and National Service Resort and Country Club in Changi and Kranji.
On July 7, the Ministry of Law said the leases or tenancies of Mandai Executive Golf Course, Warren Golf & Country Club, Orchid Country Club and Tanah Merah Country Club’s Garden Course would not be renewed as their land is needed for future plans.
Warren Golf & Country Club has a lease that expires in October 2030 and its site has been zoned for residential use, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Draft Master Plan 2025.
ST has contacted Warren Golf & Country Club, the National Trades Union Congress and MOM for comment. THE STRAITS TIMES
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