The new year has just begun, but Singapore’s F&B scene is already seeing its first wave of closures.
In a Facebook post on Jan 1, British casual dining chain PizzaExpress announced that they shuttered two outlets on the last day of 2025.
The Millennia Walk outlet was the brand’s newest store and had been operating for less than a year, and the Scotts Square outlet was the chain’s first in Singapore when it opened in 2016.
While no reason for the closure had been stated, The Business Times reported that PizzaExpress has been facing financial difficulties over the past few years.
In 2024, it shut an outlet at Holland Village.
With the latest announcement, two outlets remain at Star Vista and Duo Galleria.
https://www.instagram.com/pizzaexpresssg/p/DS8udDXDdFn/
PizzaExpress isn’t the only F&B chain scaling down in 2026.
Homegrown Kith Cafe recently closed two of their stores, with its West Coast outlet shuttering on Jan 5, just months after the closure of its Millennia Walk outlet in October 2025.
Operations at the cafe chain’s Tanjong Pagar outlet is also paused due to low footfall, The Straits Times reported.
Meanwhile, it is business as usual for the two outlets at Marina Square and New Bahru.
https://www.instagram.com/andy.barnas/p/DTHgI4Nk0DB/
Founder of Kith Cafe Jane Hia told the publication that Andy Lim, the franchisee for the West Coast outlet, had decided to close the store for personal reasons.
In an interview last October, Andy shared that the cafe struggled with high operating costs, manpower issues and tight margins.
First opened in 2009, Kith Cafe had 10 outlets islandwide at its peak.
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Similarly, American restaurant chain Hooters recently announced that it will shut down its last and only outlet in Singapore on Jan 31.
Hooters has been operating in Singapore for the past 30 years, and the Clarke Quay outlet was the chain’s first restaurant outside of North America and in Asia.
Manpower shortages and low sales were cited as the reasons for closure, Mothership reported.
Besides restaurant chains, several hawker stalls also announced they are shuttering.
One such hawker is Seng Kee Bak Chor Mee, a minced meat noodle stall founded in 1981.
On Jan 5, the stall announced the closure of its Ang Mo Kio outlet due to the owner’s ongoing health concerns, but reassured regulars that its Serangoon Gardens outlet would remain open.
Another is Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo, which recently garnered attention as the stall owner broke down after its prices were criticised in an online commentary by Stomp.
Last November, the stall announced that it will shutter in January after over 40 years.
In an interview with Shin Min Daily News, the stall owner stated that the reason for closure was due to various cost issues.
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carol.ong@asiaone.com
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