2025 will go down in Singapore’s culinary history not as the year of innovation, but as the year of the hard reset. Being in the food and beverage business has always been akin to earning a doctorate from the University of Hard Knocks—but this year, the examination was ruthless.
From sudden landlord surprises to dwindling corporate budgets and diner apathy, Singapore’s celebrated dining scene faced immense pressure. The statistics are sobering: the number of one-Michelin-starred restaurants plummeted from 42 in 2024 to just 29 by year’s end. We saw closures spanning the entire spectrum—from high-end darlings like Esora, to storied Chinese stalwarts like East Ocean (after 33 years), and beloved heritage brands like Ka-Soh.
The message was clear: old models, even those backed by Michelin prestige, were no longer sustainable.
But amidst the widespread devastation, a different story emerged—one of grit, adaptability, and the fierce determination of entrepreneurs who refused to be defeated. We look at two compelling stories of F&B players who closed shop, absorbed the shock, and bounced back stronger, pivoting their concepts for a post-crisis market.
- The Immediate Pivot: Maxi Coffee Bar’s Lesson in Human Connection
When Maxi Coffee Bar co-owner Denise Lum posted a cryptic Instagram update in mid-June announcing the immediate closure of her beloved Ann Siang Hill spot after five years, the community was shocked. The closure, triggered by unexpected issues with the main tenant and landlord, forced a devastatingly sudden end to what was an always-crowded, chill institution.
For many, a sudden closure due to external factors is the end of the road. For Lum, it was merely an intermission.
Less than four months later, Maxi Coffee Bar reopened right across the tiled walkway from its previous location, only this time, it was bigger—a full 30-seater space with a dedicated filter bar.
The drama behind the scenes—the lawyers, the panic—translated into a renewed focus on the core value of hospitality. Lum’s takeaway wasn’t just about securing a better lease; it was a deeper understanding of why people choose to spend their money out of home.
The New F&B Lesson: “Weople remember how you made them feel,” Lum observed. While excellent coffee and food are baseline requirements, the true staying power lies in creating a feeling, a community vibe that cannot be replicated by buying the same ingredients and drinking them at home. Maxi’s quick, successful hard reset demonstrates that authenticity and community are the strongest currencies in a tightening market.
- From Fine Dining to Fostering Community: Chef Marvas Ng’s Strategic Downshift
The challenges of 2025 were particularly acute in the fine dining sector, especially for restaurants that relied heavily on corporate spending. Chef Marvas Ng experienced this firsthand at Path, his modern-Asian concept. With WFH trends solidifying and corporate entertainment budgets shrinking, the restaurant (where 70% of the business originated from corporate clients) was hit hard.
Despite proactive measures, including a 10 to 20 per cent price reduction across his menus, Path closed earlier in the year.
For Chef Ng, however, the closure was a catalyst for a strategic pivot. After four years aiming for high-end celebrations, he sought a new mission: community building and sustainability.
He quickly joined Qin Restaurant & Bar under the TungLok Group, transitioning his focus entirely.
“I wanted to do more casual food, comfort food, heritage food, and to see my guests more often,” Chef Ng explained. “I wanted to build a community, rather than have a restaurant that is for celebrations.”
At Qin, Chef Ng has revamped the menu, leaning heavily into food he grew up with and Southeast Asian heritage cuisine. Crucially, 90 per cent of his ingredients are now sourced locally from Singapore and neighboring countries—a strategy that ensures freshness and promotes local industry while controlling costs.
This shift—away from the rarefied air of destination dining and towards affordable, frequent, comfort-based meals—is a key trend defining F&B’s post-crisis viability. It emphasizes frequency over high-margin exclusivity.
The Path Forward: Adapt or Perish
The year 2025 was a painful cleansing for the Singapore F&B scene. It forced a critical re-evaluation of high rents, high concepts, and high pricing. The resilience demonstrated by players like Denise Lum and Chef Marvas Ng offers crucial lessons for the industry moving into 2026:
Prioritize Experience Over Exclusivity: As Maxi Coffee Bar proved, people are looking for a genuine human connection and a reliable feeling of belonging, not just a transaction.
Focus on Value and Frequency: The reliance on expensive corporate entertainment is risky. Concepts that prioritize community, local sourcing, and affordable dishes—allowing guests to return monthly instead of annually—are proving more robust.
Localize Your Supply Chain: Strategic shifts toward using local ingredients (as seen with Chef Ng) reduce reliance on costly imports, ensuring fresher products and better cost controls in an unpredictable global economy.
These entrepreneurs haven’t just recovered; they have adapted, showing that while the hard knock life tests your limits, strategic pivoting and a renewed focus on the customer experience are the keys to long-term survival. The Singapore dining scene may be smaller, but it is undeniably tougher, smarter, and ready for what comes next.