In Singapore, ‘revenge dining’ trend sparked by Covid-19 cabin fever props up restaurants – but will it last?
- Amid limited flights and global border restrictions, the island nation’s residents are diverting money they would have spent on travel to dining out
- But while these venues have seen a surge in customers, with bookings hard to come by, experts are wary of concluding that the uptick is sustainable
She eventually secured a table at a bar-restaurant in the area, but was told she had 45 minutes to finish her bowl of noodles and whiskey highball before the next reservation was due.
“I was a little baffled at how the restaurant was so filled,” the 26-year-old said. “I understand that because of the coronavirus restrictions in place, it has limited seating capacity, so while I was disappointed, I was not annoyed. I will make reservations the next time I go out with my friends.”
These rules, restaurant owners say, have significantly reduced seating capacity, leading to longer wait times for patrons. But analysts have also attributed the delays to an emerging trend of “revenge dining”, in which Singapore’s 5.7 million residents – suffering from cabin fever on an island two-thirds the size of Hong Kong – are diverting cash they would have spent on travel to dining out and shopping.
According to official statistics for June, total retail sales – excluding motor vehicles – jumped 42.8 per cent from the previous month, while food and beverage sales increased by 19.9 per cent. The food-sales trend continued in July, going up by 29.2 per cent, with a slight dip of 3.4 per cent in August.