Singapore’s unforgiving food scene can go hot and cold on brands. What keeps them coming?

Over 3,000 eateries shut their doors last year, the highest since 2005, in one of the world’s most competitive dining markets

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The opening of Chick-fil-A’s first outlet in Singapore on December 11 drew a long queue. Photo: YouTube/Chick-fil-A

Published: 1:30pm, 21 Dec 2025Updated: 1:41pm, 21 Dec 2025

Singapore has long been a proven test bed for international food and beverage chains as a wealthy, brand-savvy market where new entrants can generate instant buzz – and just as quickly disappear for those who fail to cook up a storm.

The first part of that pattern was on display this month, with long queues forming outside the first Asia outlet of US fast-food chain Chick-fil-A more than a week after it opened in the city state.

The crowds reflect the initial pull of a well-known American brand, but industry analysts say Singapore’s unforgiving dining landscape means early hype is rarely a reliable predictor of long-term success.

Chick-fil-A, the third-largest fast-food chain in the United States by sales, opened its doors at Bugis+ on December 11, serving its signature chicken sandwich and waffle potato fries, alongside a range of sauces – including a Singapore-exclusive spicy chilli.

Chris Wang chose to spend his day off in the dine-in queue while waiting for his wife to take her lunch break. The 31-year-old, who works in IT, eats fast food at McDonald’s two to three times a week because of its consistency, a trait that he believes matters deeply to Singaporeans.

“Singaporeans always say ‘the standard dropped’, that’s the main thing that causes places to fail. If I patronise a store regularly and one day I go down and the food is not nice, the ingredients are not fresh, or the portion is suddenly stingy, then I probably won’t go back,” Wang told This Week in Asia.

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Singapore’s unforgiving food scene can go hot and cold on brands. What keeps them coming?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Over 3,000 eateries shut their doors last year, the highest since 2005, in one of the world’s most competitive dining markets

Over 3,000 eateries shut their doors last year, the highest since 2005, in one of the world’s most competitive dining markets