Why you might be eating more fast food in 2026

SINGAPORE – The year 2026 is shaping up to be a full one for fans of fast food, with the arrival of three global brands. 

The latest entry to the Singapore market is American chicken sandwich giant Chick-fil-A, which started operations at Bugis+ on Dec 11.

Meanwhile, Chipotle Mexican Grill, a fast-casual chain from the same country, and South Korea’s burger brand Lotteria are set to make landfall here in 2026. 

This influx comes as no surprise to industry observers, who say that Singapore’s allure lies in its safety and affluence. 

Mr Benedict Lee, 37, a Culinary & Catering Management lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic, points out that Singapore is densely populated and has one of the highest median household incomes in Asia.

According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, the average household expenditure was nearly $6,000 a month in 2023, with food accounting for some 20 per cent of expenses.

“This signals a deep dining culture and sustained demand, with eating out being the norm rather than a luxury,” Mr Lee says. 

Mr Benjamin Chan, 38, founder of food and beverage (F&B) consultancy Protegie Group, adds that a “good” lunch in Singapore costs around $17 to $30 in Singapore – “and you can’t find that kind of purchasing power in many other countries, especially in South-east Asia”.

He also says that Singapore serves as a good vantage point for new entrants who want to understand the regional market because of the diversity of its food scene and the varied tastes of diners. Plus, the fact that English is the lingua franca here makes doing business for brands unfamiliar with South-east Asian languages a lot easier. 

An oversaturated market? 

While the Singapore menus for Chipotle and Lotteria – slated to open in Jewel in February – have yet to be revealed, Chick-fil-A has exported a tight line-up of classics to Singapore. That includes its chicken sandwich, cobb salad with grilled fillet, milkshakes, spicy deluxe sandwich, waffle fries and nuggets, all priced between $4.20 and $14.60.

Its chicken sandwich jostles for space in a crowded market dominated by entrenched favourites like McDonalds’ McSpicy and KFC’s Zinger.

There are other players too: the chicken sandwich from Popeyes, Spicy Chicken King from Burger King and Chicken Shack from Shake Shack, just to name a few. 

But some experts think the market has not yet reached saturation point, and there is still room for more. 

“If it’s an interesting concept by an interesting brand, it can do well,” says Mr Leonard Lam, 53, managing director in the Asia-Pacific for food service equipment supplier Welbilt. Many of his clients are fast-food companies. 

However, he advises taking a slow and steady approach. “Some chains come in and immediately want 20, 50 stores. But a good brand will slowly grow and understand the market, instead of rushing through expansion.” 

In the meantime, older players like KFC are not yet feeling the squeeze.

On the contrary, Ms Jaslyn Lam, 42, director of marketing and food innovation at KFC Singapore, welcomes the vibrancy. “It keeps the scene dynamic and inspires everyone to keep raising the bar,” she says. “Singapore is a true food paradise, where people are really passionate about great taste.” 

The recipe for success 

As KFC has discovered, localisation is the key to success. In 2025, its diners gravitated strongly towards bold and spicy flavours, with limited-edition offerings such as Chilli Crab Zinger Mantou and Ghost Pepper Wings proving especially popular.

“These hits proved that our fans crave flavours that excite the senses yet stay true to the comfort of KFC,” says Ms Lam.

Mr Lam recommends that brands keep 80 per cent of their core products and tailor the remaining 20 per cent to local palates. “Even the big boys do it. McDonald’s localises all the time with its nasi lemak burger, rendang burger. These are the ways it adapts.” 

Apart from hype-building campaigns with limited-time specials, localisation could also take subtler forms.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean changing the product such that it’s unrecognisable from the core brand product. It could be something like what Chick-fil-A is doing by introducing a special chilli sauce. Or it could mean adjusting the sweetness level of your products,” says Mr Lam.

Despite the strong spending power of Singaporeans, the local F&B scene has been buffeted by soaring operating costs and more cautious consumer spending in recent years.

So, to hang on to their slice of the market, brands have to “differentiate themselves meaningfully rather than relying on novelty or hype, and build sufficient volume quickly to cover high fixed costs”, according to Mr Lee. 

For instance, he says Chick-fil-A’s variety of sauces could help it stand out. Its long-term success, however, will depend on its ability to cater to local tastes and price its products competitively. And the restaurant’s location in a mall with high footfall also puts it in a favourable position.

In Lotteria’s case, it could benefit from the general interest in Korean food, but its challenge lies in establishing a “compellingly unique proposition beyond the hype of being new and from Korea”, he adds.

The major player in Singapore’s Mexican-inspired fast-casual market is currently Australian chain Guzman y Gomez. Similar concepts like American brands Baja Fresh, which entered in 2012 and left in 2021, and Taco Bell, which remained from 1999 to 2008, enjoyed only temporary success here.

In Mr Lee’s view, it proves that a Fresh-Mex concept alone does not guarantee success. “An entrant like Chipotle Mexican Grill will need to compete on taste, perceived authenticity and value rather than relying on global brand recognition.”

One way in which Shake Shack – run by SPC Group, which is also bringing Chipotle to Singapore – has tried to keep things fresh is by exploring other cuisines. For example, it rolled out an Italian Caesar menu in June, and most recently collaborated with chef Louis Han of one-Michelin-starred restaurant Nae:um in Telok Ayer Street on a Korean-inspired menu. 

A spokesperson for Shake Shack says that the response to the November collaboration with chef Han has been “overwhelmingly positive, with guests expressing great enthusiasm for this new flavour experience”.

Fresh takes, twists and tie-ups in 2026

Looking to the year ahead, the burger brand is open to more opportunities for collaboration.

McDonald’s, on the other hand, is toying with the idea of putting a twist on fan favourites. “It’s our way of thanking our community by continuing to serve what they know and love, while giving them something fresh and new to look forward to,” says its spokesperson.

KFC, too, is gearing up for a challenging year in a fast-evolving food scene with “endless options” and more discerning customers.

“With trend cycles constantly shortening, our challenge is to stay closely in tune with what drives craving in the moment and deliver it through fresh, delightful experiences,” says Ms Lam. 

Whatever they sling out in 2026, these brands can rest easy in the knowledge that there is an audience ready to lap up their fast-food offerings.

In a merciless year that has felled a whole swathe of industry players, from Michelin-starred establishments to decades-old hawker stalls, it seems like these indomitable institutions churning out meals within minutes, at prices even students can afford, are the only ones holding steady.

According to international market research firm YouGov’s Singapore Dining Out Report 2025, released in October, the top four most considered restaurants among local diners were fast-food chains – with McDonald’s in the lead, followed by KFC, Burger King and Subway.

Whether new entrants will be able to crack the usual suspects’ stranglehold on the market remains to be seen.