Several Kith Cafe outlets shut in recent months, with 2 stores still operating

SINGAPORE – Several Kith Cafe stores have shut their doors in recent months, with the latest being the West Coast outlet, which closed on Jan 5, months after the Millenia Walk one shut in October 2025.

At its peak, the home-grown cafe brand had 10 outlets, according to its Facebook account.

Currently, two outlets – at Marina Square and New Bahru, a lifestyle development in River Valley – are still in operation. Both are collaborations with edutainment children’s park brand Kiztopia.

While Kith Cafe’s Instagram account lists four locations, the Punggol outlet has closed permanently, founder Jane Hia told The Straits Times by phone on Jan 5.

She said operations at Kith Cafe’s Spottiswoode outlet in Tanjong Pagar, which is listed as temporarily closed on Google, have been paused because of a lull in customer traffic.

She added that her team is exploring the possibility of refreshing the store concept.

The outlet was renovated in June 2025 and reopened the following month.

Ms Hia said the franchisee operating the West Coast outlet had opted to terminate it for personal reasons.

In response to queries, franchise owner Andy Lim said he is planning to pursue a new venture that “aligns with my faith”.

He had previously been open about the challenges of running a food and beverage (F&B) outlet, stating in a social media post in July 2025 that he had lost $70,000 to $90,000 within a year of operating the cafe.

The former Republic of Singapore Air Force regular had said in an interview with Christian online publication Salt&Light that he used $140,000 of his savings to take over the franchise, despite having no business experience.

Between September and December 2025, however, he said the West Coast outlet had been performing better, gaining traction and making profit.

First opened in 2009, Kith Cafe began in the Robertson Quay area, serving coffee priced midway between local options and international chains.

A second outlet was opened at the former Park Mall in 2012, with all-day menus introduced gradually.

When asked about Kith Cafe’s shrinking presence, Ms Hia said the F&B industry is highly dynamic and this means that the brand has to adapt quickly.

This need to adapt quickly reflects a broader reality in today’s F&B landscape, said Mr Jeremy Sim, deputy director of Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Business.

“What we are seeing in Singapore is not the disappearance of home-grown brands, but a recalibration of scale,” he added.

While it may seem as if the future favours only large chains with deep pockets, small, independent operators are also surviving by staying lean.

Mr Sim said: “To remain viable over the next decade, local brands must make a clear strategic choice –  either operate as a tightly run, high-margin artisanal business, or scale decisively into a highly efficient chain.

“Attempting to straddle both in the current cost environment is increasingly unsustainable.”

In an August 2025 report in The Business Times, Ms Hia said she planned to grow the business-to-business side of the brand.

She added that she hoped to have more tie-ups to sell Kith’s cookies at corporate and large-scale events, as well as increase production.

“This era for cafes is harder than during Covid-19. It’s not enough to be trendy or Instagrammable. You have to move fast and keep evolving,” she had said then.