Several stalls have vacated a kopitiam in Yishun following its S$40 million sale in July. On September 5, a member of the Facebook group Uniquely Sing
Several stalls have vacated a kopitiam in Yishun following its S$40 million sale in July. On September 5, a member of the Facebook group Uniquely Singapore Hawker Food! shared an update about the coffee shop located at Block 848 Yishun Street 81, reporting that five stalls have moved out.
The post included photos showing four cleared-out stalls, with no indication of where these businesses had relocated. The affected stalls included a chicken rice stall, a claypot and herbal soup stall, a Hainan Zai stall, a Western food stall, and a popiah stall. Only the Hainan Zai stall posted a notice stating they had relocated on August 30, 2022, and would reopen at their new location by September 7, 2022.
“It’s been said that the entire coffee shop will close in September for renovations,” the poster mentioned, adding uncertainty about whether more stalls would move out, as some were still in operation.
According to MustShareNews, the remaining vendors have yet to announce their plans, leaving customers wondering if their favorite stalls will relocate or close permanently.
The kopitiam’s new owner, who purchased the property for a record S$40 million, explained that the coffee shop’s location in a high-density residential area near an MRT station made it an attractive investment, especially as the Covid-19 situation stabilized. However, he acknowledged that rental adjustments were “difficult to avoid.”
Online community members responded to the news with mixed reactions. Some, like Facebook user Ande Liew, commented that stalls moving out was expected: “Of course, the stalls go elsewhere to sell. No customers there at all.” Others expressed concerns about rising food prices, with Facebook user Gilbert Chee saying, “It is good to have empty stalls. Let these Kopitiam owners know and feel the pinch. Next time don’t throw money and expect clients to be gullible and pay higher prices.”
As renovations loom, customers are left to wonder what the future holds for the kopitiam and its vendors.
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