The harsh realities of being an F&B worker in Singapore

F&B businesses that recently closed

It’s a tough time to be an F&B owner. Between January and October 2025, 2,431 establishments shut down, while 82% of those registered for up to five years had never made a profit, according to the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). No one seems safe—not even Michelin-starred restaurants or once-popular chains, including Prive Group.

But it’s arguably an even tougher time to be an F&B worker—the cooks, servers, and dishwashers who often work long hours under difficult conditions for low wages. When closures occur, many workers lose their means of sustenance, leaving themselves and their families without a livelihood. In the case of Twelve Cupcakes, which closed abruptly on 29 October 2025, 80 workers became jobless overnight without receiving an entire month’s pay.