{
  "id": 5014792,
  "title": "Bai Nian Food Court at Chai Chee lost S$250,000 in 7 months: 'There are just no people anymore'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/bai-nian-food-court-at-chai-chee-lost-s-250-000-in-7-months-there-are-5014792",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-02T04:11:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/dining/bai-nian-food-court-chai-chee-6356556"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Bai Nian Food Court in Chai Chee's ESR BizPark has suffered significant financial losses, losing approximately S$250,000 over the past seven months, according to its second-generation owner Tommy Pang. Pang runs seven out of the eight food stalls within the court, which sits at a mere 10 to 20 percent occupancy on weekdays. The family-owned business, which has struggled to attract tenants, is now operating all of the stalls themselves to keep the court running. Pang attributes the decline in footfall to the post-pandemic shift towards remote work, as businesses vacated the shopping center and employees worked from home, leaving the food court \"dead\". Despite attempts to find new tenants, Pang has been unable to secure any, stating that prospective stallholders are deterred by the lack of customers. The food court seats around 400 to 500 diners and typically sees only 10 to 20 percent occupancy on weekdays. Pang and his family are now exploring various strategies to attract more customers, including a free hot drink promotion and a dedicated Instagram account for the food court. However, the situation remains dire, with Pang expressing uncertainty about the future and whether the landlord, ESR, may lower the rent.",
  "summary": "Run by second-generation owner Tommy Pang, the food court at ESR BizPark @ Chai Chee is just “10 to 20 per cent occupied” on weekdays. Unable to attract tenants, his family now runs seven of the eight stalls there.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CNA - Singapore",
        "title": "Bai Nian Food Court at Chai Chee lost S$250,000 in 7 months: 'There are just no people anymore'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/bai-nian-food-court-at-chai-chee-lost-s-250-000-in-7-months-there-are",
        "published": "2026-09-02T04:11:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}