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‘I miss eating hot food’: Some diners happy to eat out again but F&B places remain mostly quiet

SINGAPORE — It was a quiet scene at some restaurants and food centres on Monday (June 21), with a few business owners saying that they did not see the quick return of customers as they had hoped.

A scene at Orient Success Coffee House at Elias Mall in Pasir Ris on June 21, 2021.

A scene at Orient Success Coffee House at Elias Mall in Pasir Ris on June 21, 2021.

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  • Business was slow to pick up for some eateries on June 21
  • It was the first day people can dine out at food-and-beverage (F&B) places after a clamp-down
  • Some restaurants that cater to families and larger groups are not getting the traffic they hoped
  • A number of patrons at food courts and coffee shops were just happy to eat out again
  • Others still preferred to take away and eat at home because they are used to it and it is “safer”

 

SINGAPORE — It was a quiet scene at some restaurants and food centres on Monday (June 21), with a few business owners saying that they did not see the quick return of customers as they had hoped.

It was the first day that people are allowed to dine out at eateries in groups of two as part of infection control measures for Covid-19.

The limit of two a table at eateries instead of five as announced previously was due to the “persistence” of undetected Covid-19 cases in the community.

Ms Abby Lim, 36, founder of restaurants Xiao Ya Tou at Duxton Hill in Tanjong Pagar and Symmetry in Bugis, said: “I’m not sure if dining-in is slow today because it’s Monday or because people are fearful of the disease spread, but I would like to think that maybe this time round, people are being more cooperative by staying at home to let this pass as soon as possible.

“After all, there are still a handful of unlinked cases daily. Also, it’s quite hard to pick one friend to eat with you, right?”

As part of regulations, groups that exceed two people who are not from the same household will not be allowed to dine in together at eateries, even if they are split across multiple tables. The exception is if the group is from the same household, then they may be split up at two to a table.

When TODAY spoke to Ms Lim at 4pm, she said that since opening at 10am, Symmetry had served “maybe 10 pairs of two” customers. This is not typical because it used to be more bustling than this.

Symmetry restaurant in Bugis had just a trickle of customers on June 21, 2021 since itopened at 10am. PhoTo: Natasha Meah/TODAY

Leading up to last Friday, when it was announced that dining in could resume in groups of two, many patrons had already called to make reservations at Symmetry in the hope that they may dine in groups of five. Xiao Ya Tou, which serves Asian food, did not receive any reservations

“We called (these) customers back on the first day when the news was out. Some still insisted on dining with more than two persons so we did turn away (these) reservations. They wanted us to split tables, which we don’t allow,” Ms Lim said.

She added that she was “not optimistic” about business improving. For one, the restaurant’s seating capacity is reduced due to safe distancing for every table accommodating a pair of diners. Couples also tend to spend less, Ms Lim said.

At Orient Success Coffee House at Elias Mall in Pasir Ris, a nasi lemak stall owner who gave her name as just Ms Lam said that business had not improved with the new rule change. 

“Today, there was no queue at our stall at all,” she said in Mandarin, adding that business would be better if people could dine out in larger groups.

WHAT CUSTOMERS SAY

Speaking to some diners, TODAY met those who were glad to be out for a sit-down meal after more than a month of not doing so.

Mr Muhammad Azfizan, 25, who visited Coffee United, a coffee shop at Elias Mall with his wife to have lunch, said that they both miss being able to consume food when it is piping hot.

“Before today, we had to take away food or order food via delivery... by the time the food gets to our place, it is not hot anymore,” Mr Azfizan, who works in customer service, said.

The scene at Coffee United coffee shop at Elias Mall in Pasir Ris on June 21, 2021. Photo: Isabel JOy Kua/TODAY

At Orient Success Coffee House at the same mall, engineer Low Yee Yew, 28, said that dining out with his colleague was a “good change of environment” instead of eating in the office.

He added that he felt safe eating out because he is fully vaccinated. 

Similarly, Ms Sactheya Arun, 32, a preschool teacher was having a drink at Yishun Park Hawker Centre during her lunch break and she said that dining out gave her “a breather” from work.

However, she was disappointed that she would not be able to have a meal at the hawker centre with her husband and two-year-old toddler due to the rules.

“My daughter has mostly been stuck at home… and it’s quite sad that we cannot go out and sit together to have a meal as a family.”

However, Ms Amanda Tay, a 37-year-old civil servant who was dining at the same hawker centre with her husband and sons aged four and eight, said that while it was inconvenient to eat at separate tables, she was still glad for the opportunity to be out.

Ms Tay and her husband were seated on separate but adjacent tables, with each parent sitting with a child.

Other diners, however, said that they had already gotten used to eating at home and were dining out solely for convenience’s sake. 

Mr Sebastian Yap, 20, said that he and his mother had only decided to eat at Orient Success Coffee House because they did not want to carry their food home after running errands at the mall.

He still did not feel “completely” safe eating outside his home, he admitted.

SLOW BUSINESS ‘EXPECTED’

Mr James Ang is co-owner of Enjoy Eating House and Bar, which has two outlets in Jalan Besar and on Stevens Road, as well as Enjoy@Le social in Joo Chiat.

At lunchtime, just two tables or fewer were occupied at all the three eateries.

He had expected the slow business because Chinese restaurants typically cater to families. 

A quiet day at a stretch of eateries in Clementi Mall on June 21, 2021. Photo: Natasha Meah/TODAY

Mr Sam Lim, the director of PizzaExpress with outlets in Holland Village, Duo Galleria near Beach Road and Scotts Square near Orchard Road, said that traffic at his outlets was not high and delivery is still taking precedence.

“We saw a slight dip in sales as compared to the past weeks now that there are more options for people to eat out,” he said.

Customers have so far complied with the rules, with families agreeing to sit at separate tables next to each other, Mr Lim said.

“I think, in general, Singaporeans have adapted to the rules, and even those who might try their luck know that it is not worth the legal repercussions and penalties,” Mr Lim added.

Related topics

dining F&B food court coffee shop Covid-19

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