Bai Nian Food Court at Chai Chee lost S$250,000 in 7 months: ‘There are just no people anymore’

Unable to find enough tenants, Pang and his family have increasingly had to operate the stalls themselves “to keep the place going”.

“The rent is very high. Rather than leave a stall empty, I need to take it up myself and start something new,” he said.

In fact, only one external tenant remains at the eight-stall food court — ban mian stall The Spice Pavilion.

Despite losing S$250,000 in seven months, Pang and his family aren’t ready to give up on the food court.

Part of the reason is “sentimental”.

When the family took over the food court nine years ago, Bai Nian Yong Tau Foo had just two hawker stalls elsewhere. Opening a food court bearing the Bai Nian name, along with its third yong tau foo stall, helped put the then-small brand on the map.

“That’s when word of mouth started to spread, that Bai Nian, a small hawker stall, had opened a food court,” shared Pang.

“This place is like my home. My family used to come here every day,” he said.

“We really don’t want to give it up.”

The family renewed its lease in October 2025, which runs until 2030. Pang said business was still manageable then, with three external tenants at the food court.

It was only in the past four to five months that things “escalated”, as more tenants left.

Closing the food court would also affect the 17 employees who work there.

“I have no place for them,” he said, adding that his other businesses don’t have the capacity to absorb them.

For now, Pang and his team are trying to draw customers from outside the business park.

They recently launched a free hot drink promo.

Until Sep 30, customers who purchase any main dish from the family’s six food brands at the food court will receive a free hot drink. Choices include kopi, tea and yuan yang, while iced versions cost an additional 50 cents.

But he admits getting diners to make a special trip to a food court isn’t easy.

“If the space was a restaurant, maybe marketing [can] get people to purposely travel down. But would you really purposely travel so far just for [simple] comfort food?”

They have also started a dedicated Instagram account for Bai Nian Food Court and are looking at other campaigns to draw customers, though nothing is concrete.