‘Local operators need to step up’: Mainland Chinese F&B brands in S’pore praised for ‘top-notch’ service

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s commercial rental costs and the closure of several food and beverage outlets have been prompting debate online. While local operators reportedly point to the growing presence of mainland Chinese brands in the city-state, many netizens say these businesses are winning over locals because they offer “top-notch” customer service. One commenter even said, “Local operators need to step up.”

This followed a Channel News Asia (CNA) report in which several local businessmen said they believe the entry of mainland Chinese retailers has raised rents in the city-state.

Andy Hoon, chairman of an informal group of local businessmen, Bosses Network, said some of his contacts from China believe they need to offer higher rent to win bids for commercial spaces in Singapore. He noted that they view the city-state as a “stepping stone” to the rest of the market in the region.

However, Hunan home-style cuisine chain Nong Geng Ji — which operates over 100 outlets in China — denied such “aggressive real estate tactics”.

“We firmly believe that winning customers’ loyalty must be grounded in the exceptional quality of our ingredients and the authenticity of our flavours,” a spokesperson said.

Singapore Polytechnic’s business school lecturer Ernest Tan also noted that Chinese-style service begins even before food is ordered. “From start to end, they take care of you. You don’t feel the wait is too long — you can have unlimited snacks, you can have water,” he said — a model that has been brought into the city-state and noticed by locals.

Mr Hoon added that Chinese brands often provide “endless” appetisers, ice cream and other perks. “Singaporean businessmen need to counter [that],” he said.

Netizens echoed similar sentiments, with one commenter pointing out, “No other non-China brands do it.” He said, “A few days ago, we were making noise that we weren’t even served plain water,” referring to the free-flow tap water petition by Singapore General Hospital consultant Dr Yee Yucai, which was slammed by a restaurateur as a “personal dining gripe”.

Another shared that some local businesses offer “overpriced food items” and are “very stingy”, charging extra for water and wet wipes, even though they already include service charges and employ staff who are slow or unfriendly. In contrast, she said Chinese chains have friendlier staff, faster service, and perks like unlimited free rice, with some not even having a service charge.

“As much as I would like to support some local businesses, I, as a consumer, find myself gravitating towards some of these Chinese restaurants which offer more value for money,” she added.

Another commenter added that Vietnamese and Thai restaurants also provide more generous portions of real protein than local brands, which is why he prefers them.

Meanwhile, one remarked, “It’s supply and demand. Singaporeans always want to try new food. Overseas big brands capitalise on this, and they move in fast and furious. Despite paying higher rentals, they will still be profitable because everyone wants to try the new cuisine. This creates long queues, and like any typical Singaporean mentality, a long queue means good food, [so they] join the queue.” /TISG

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