Bai Nian food court at Chai Chee loses S$250,000 in 7 months 'just to keep lights on', family not ready to give up

The Bai Nian Food Court at ESR BizPark @ Chai Chee has suffered a loss of approximately S$250,000 over the past seven months due to low weekday footfall and difficulty in attracting stall owners. In an Instagram video posted on August 25, second-generation owner Tommy Pang, 29, disclosed that the family has lost about S$250,000 simply to maintain the lights at this food court.

He emphasized that they cannot allow the situation to persist, adding that if it continues, it would become unclear how they will sustain the operation of the space. One of the food court's units, previously occupied by a Western food stall, became vacant about a month ago when the operator decided to leave and forfeited the deposit, which was a substantial amount.

The family initially explored the possibility of bringing in an Indian food operator to occupy the unit, but this did not materialize. As the situation worsened, they had to resort to introducing a fried chicken cutlet rice stall concept at the last minute, but this too was short-lived as the unit remained vacant for three to four months.

The family's inability to fill vacant units has been a recurring issue for them over the years. The decline in business began following the Covid-19 pandemic and has not fully recovered. The food court is currently typically occupied by only 10 to 20 percent during weekday lunch, and while it can be around 80 percent full on weekends, the lack of weekday customers has made it challenging to attract stall operators.

The food court is leased from the landlord ESR, and individual stalls are sublet to operators for approximately S$4,000 per month. Despite the losses, the Pang family, who took over the food court nine years ago in 2017, remains committed to its operation. They see it as their home and have invested significant time and effort in bringing the brand to the forefront.