Are mainland Chinese F&B brands in Singapore driving up rents and squeezing out local businesses?

[sunsetbay]

I posted on another thread, these Chinese restaurants operate much longer hours till midnight or 24hrs~ they are able to find chefs, workers that are willing to work long shifts~

Longer operating hours mean they can cover the rental in a shorter number of days~

They are bringing their 内卷 (dog eat dog world) business culture to overseas, see who can survive to the end~

Like this one 辣不辣 mala outlet, operates till 4am at downtown east~

57 Mala at East Point operates till 5am~

 

[mastermember]

We rather have more Japanese companies invading our shopping centres like Daiso and Uniqlo.

I prefer more chinese shops. The more the merrier.

 

[fortunehunter]

These local f&b owners only want foreign workers

But don’t want foreign competition

Lol this.
Want hire young, strong and cheap foreigner workers.

If this FNB price their food at affordable price, sinkie is more than happy to support them.

Now I see sell what laksa at restaurant for 15 dollar, chicken rice for 15 dollar or even pasta for 18 dollar. Want us support wait lo.

Another problem is they charge service charge when everything is order and paid via app, whole restaurant may be 3 cooks and 2 service staff with sitting capacity of 100 people and still charge us service charge. Water fork

 

[Tayliatorhard]

Actually be to fair, the quality of food they serve is so much better than local F&B brand.

And service attitude of their staff is generally better than local's.

 

[Chisaigyu]

We rather have more Japanese companies invading our shopping centres like Daiso and Uniqlo.

Not saying which food/shop is better, but in this post we can see the hypocrisy of EDWM at it's finest.

 

[testart]

Is a free market right?

u can't expect a minister to go talk to landlords or developer leh or u can't expect govt to regulate the rental markets

china investors can offer big money because their population so big, how to compete $ with them?

 

[misterGomez]

it is very easy to understand who is responsible, just think who is the biggest land owner in SG?

 

[AndroidComa]

I posted on another thread, these Chinese restaurants operate much longer hours till midnight or 24hrs~ they are able to find chefs, workers that are willing to work long shifts~

Longer operating hours mean they can cover the rental in a shorter number of days~

They are bringing their 内卷 (dog eat dog world) business culture to overseas, see who can survive to the end~

Like this one 辣不辣 mala outlet, operates till 4am at downtown east~


57 Mala at East Point operates till 5am~

内卷 or just more hardworking?

remember Singapore was able to attract DFI also cos we work super long hours (a.k.a hardworking) as compared to those 'supremacy' races
but current gen of uni grads are making DFI think of going elsewhere....

 

[xdivider]

Its ok i can stop eating out and save money to pig in jpn....

 

[rosschang]

Chinese F&B brands in Singapore driving up rents? NO
PHV driving up COEs? NO
GST turbocharging inflation? NO

everything is a NO so long the money is rolling into the coffers

Bingo~! this echos...

 

[testerjp]

They dare to bid on rent because their labours can 996 at cheap price. China workers only have 2 or 3 off days a month.

PRC are heavily restricted to work in service line yet they could hire so many. For every 15 staffs, you can only hire one prc. It can't be every waiter or chef is a PR or citizen.

Something is wrong and putting local restaurants at unfair competition.

 

[Go Fly Kite]

Mainland Chinese F&B brands in Singapore unlikely to be driving up rents, say experts​

 

[AndroidComa]

They dare to bid on rent because their labours can 996 at cheap price. China workers only have 2 or 3 off days a month.

PRC are heavily restricted to work in service line yet they could hire so many.

Something is wrong and putting local restaurants at unfair competition.

if u believe they are doing that, u can report to MOM one
anywhere u see 996 just report

In short: **Yes — 996-style (9 am–9 pm, 6 days a week) generally contravenes Singapore's Employment Act ("Part IV") unless very specific exemptions apply.**
---
What Singapore MOM law says

For non‑executive employees covered under Part IV (earning ≤ S$2,600 per month if non‑workmen, or ≤ S$4,500 if manual workmen):

**“Normal” hours**: capped at 8 hours/day or 44 hours/week. If more than 5 working days, daily limit is 8 hours; if 5 days or fewer, up to 9 hours but still 44 hours/week .

Overtime: at 1.5× hourly rate.

Overtime limit: max 72 overtime hours per month .

Daily cap: you cannot work more than 12 hours in a day unless under exceptional situations, or an MOM overtime exemption has been granted (raising the limit to 14 hours/day) .

---

Why 996 doesn’t fit

A 9 am–9 pm schedule six days a week means 12 hours/day, 72 hours/week—far beyond the statutory 44-hour workweek. That’s approaching 160 overtime hours monthly, exceeding both weekly and monthly caps. For non-exempt employees, this is clearly illegal under Singapore law.

unless all the 996 are manager level

 

[hctawsgs]

So it is the tenants fault and not greedy landlords.,.

 

[0218crawford]

moi no affected. moi mostly self cook one.
if everyone like me liddat, F&B jitao recession.

 

[arcturuz]

seems like CNA has changed the headline to

Mainland Chinese F&B brands in Singapore unlikely to be driving up rents, say experts

24 Jun 2025 06:00AM(Updated: 24 Jun 2025 08:58AM)

 

[testerjp]

if u believe they are doing that, u can report to MOM one
anywhere u see 996 just report

In short: **Yes — 996-style (9 am–9 pm, 6 days a week) generally contravenes Singapore's Employment Act ("Part IV") unless very specific exemptions apply.**
---
What Singapore MOM law says

For non‑executive employees covered under Part IV (earning ≤ S$2,600 per month if non‑workmen, or ≤ S$4,500 if manual workmen):

**“Normal” hours**: capped at 8 hours/day or 44 hours/week. If more than 5 working days, daily limit is 8 hours; if 5 days or fewer, up to 9 hours but still 44 hours/week .

Overtime: at 1.5× hourly rate.

Overtime limit: max 72 overtime hours per month .

Daily cap: you cannot work more than 12 hours in a day unless under exceptional situations, or an MOM overtime exemption has been granted (raising the limit to 14 hours/day) .

---

Why 996 doesn’t fit

A 9 am–9 pm schedule six days a week means 12 hours/day, 72 hours/week—far beyond the statutory 44-hour workweek. That’s approaching 160 overtime hours monthly, exceeding both weekly and monthly caps. For non-exempt employees, this is clearly illegal under Singapore law.

unless all the 996 are manager level

The staff will just deny that then no case.

You go look at the staffs, I see the same fellows standing there morning till night on practically everyday.

 

[standarture]

They use all cheap stuff from China, they can fight with higher profit margins.

 

[TheITGuy]

没办法，中国人穷的就很穷，有钱的就非常有钱。一块跟100块对他们来说没差

 

[Dividends]

We rather have more Japanese companies invading our shopping centres like Daiso and Uniqlo.

I see the China restaurants always packed with people, Singaporeans love China food and Japanese products, supply and demand working as intended.