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From Iggy’s to Ananda Bhavan: How Singapore restaurants live long and prosper
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(Clockwise from top left) Iggy's owners Ignatius Chan and Janice Wong, executive director of Sushi Tei Allen Tan, founder of the TungLok Group at TungLok Signatures at The Central Andrew Tjioe, Chefs Hooi Kok Wai (left) and Sin Leong at their Red Star restaurantm, and chief executive of Ananda Bhavan, M Viren Ettikan (centre).
PHOTOS: ST HESTER TAN, COURTESY OF ALLEN TAN, ST DESMOND WEE, ST SHINTARO TAY, ST BRIAN TEO
SINGAPORE – Razor-thin margins, ever-increasing rental and ingredient costs, the often-futile search for workers inept or accomplished – this is the reality for people who own restaurants.
To say that the Singapore restaurant scene is volatile is an understatement. So far in 2024, more F&B businesses closed in February and May than the number that opened. The industry has braced itself for a tough 2024, as the strong Singapore dollar drives people to travel and spend overseas.
