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How restaurants in Singapore are fighting to survive       https://sg.news.yahoo.com/beyond-cooking-skills-restaurants-singapore-035200591.html?utm_source=Telegram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=YahooSingapore       That article, written by Tan Hsueh Yun for *The Straits Times* (and syndicated via Yahoo News), outlines a major shift happening in Singapore's food and beverage (F&B) industry.       The core message is that **great cooking skills are no longer enough to keep a restaurant alive.** Singapore’s dining sector is currently undergoing a "structural reset" where operational costs have hit a permanently higher baseline, forcing restaurateurs to become master logisticians and financial experts just to stay afloat.   The key details and takeaways from the article outline why this is happening and how businesses are adjusting.       ### 1. The Reality Check: A High-Churn Environment   Despite constant news of beloved spots closing down—such as *Encore by Rhubarb*, *The Black Sheep*, *Old School Delights*, *Nana Dolly’s*, and the heritage restaurant *Wing Seong Fatty’s*—there are actually **more new openings than closures**.       The issue is that many new entrepreneurs plunge in with plenty of passion but zero business acumen, leading to a relentless wave of rapid openings and equally rapid bankruptcies.       ### 2. The "Structural Reset"   According to industry experts cited in the article—including Geoffrey Tai (Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Business) and Associate Professor Guy Llewellyn (EHL Campus Singapore)—the current wave of closures isn't just a post-pandemic correction. It is a permanent shift:        * **Higher Baselines:** Rent, labor, and energy costs have permanently spiked and stabilized at much higher rates.        * **Cautious Spending:** While operating costs are up, diners are clamping down on their wallets and tightening their spending.        * **Zero Room for Error:** Many businesses that survived the pandemic on emergency reserves or debt have completely run out of financial runway.   ### 3. Survival Tactics: How Operators are Adapting   To survive, restaurateurs are being forced to rethink traditional hospitality models. The article highlights several key strategies being deployed:    * **Shrinking the Footprint:** To fight rising rent and manpower shortages, brands are moving toward smaller-format spaces, takeaway kiosks, or shared/cloud kitchens.    * **Tighter Financial Guards:** Experts advise that **rent must be kept under 20% of total revenue**. Successful operators are calculatedly mapping out unit economics, footfall, and competitor layouts *before* signing leases.    * **Menu Engineering:** Restaurants are trimming and simplifying their menus. Tighter menus mean less food waste, lower skill requirements for kitchen staff, and faster table turnover.    * **Diversified Revenue:** Surviving means expanding beyond tableside service into private dining, catering, merchandise, and retail delivery.        * **Uncompromising Identity:** As Prof. Llewellyn points out, with thousands of options available in Singapore, *"a restaurant that tries to be everything will not survive."*       ### 4. Why People Are Still Opening Restaurants   Despite the grim environment, new international brands—especially from Japan (like hamburg steak sensation *Hikiniku To Come* and yakitori giant *Torikizoku*) and South Korea (like *Jiho Samgyetang SBCD*)—continue to flood the local market.   Entrepreneurs are still jumping in because:        * They see Singapore as the ultimate launchpad for regional expansion.        * Modern diners are moving away from just "buying food" and are actively seeking **experience-driven, emotionally memorable dining concepts** with strong storytelling and a sense of craft.       The overriding consensus from local operators is summarized best by Hann Lim, director of Satori Yakitori: in today's F&B climate, you have to move fast, adapt instantly, and constantly evolve with the market. Passion in the kitchen is just the baseline; execution in the spreadsheet is what guarantees survival.

too easy for france.. and france can afford to even miss at least 3 big chances in first half.   Morocco attack is non existent for almost whole game, almost a joke quality. from the start they are just waiting to concede/lose.

🚨 15-year-old among 69 under investigation for suspected loanshark activities   They were nabbed in an islandwide enforcement operation against unlicensed moneylending from July 1 to 7.   READ: https://asia1.news/44F33oh   Follow @AsiaOnecom for all the latest updates.       🚨 Full Details: 15‑Year‑Old Among 69 Under Probe for Unlicensed Moneylending       Published: 9 July 2026, 9:40 am | Source: AsiaOne / Singapore Police Force        Operation Overview       - Period: 1 – 7 July 2026, islandwide raids    - Units involved: Criminal Investigation Department + all seven police land divisions    - Total under investigation: 69 people, aged 15 to 76 (including the 15‑year‑old)    - Status: Investigations are ongoing                Breakdown of Suspects       Category Number Details    Harassment 9 Allegedly harassed debtors at their homes[__LINK_ICON]    Runners 15 Assisted via ATM transfers for illegal lending[__LINK_ICON]    Account facilitators 36 Opened accounts and handed over ATM cards, PINs, internet banking tokens to lenders[__LINK_ICON]    Cross‑border links 9 3 men, 6 women aged 18–67; identified via tip‑offs from Royal Malaysia Police; supplied bank accounts/phone numbers linked to cases in both Singapore and Malaysia[__LINK_ICON]                Penalties if Found Guilty       - Harassment on behalf of loansharks: Up to 5 years’ jail, $5,000–$50,000 fine, 3–6 strokes of the cane    - Facilitating via accounts/cards/tokens: Up to 4 years’ jail, $30,000–$300,000 fine, up to 6 strokes of the cane    - Additional consequence: Those who let accounts be used may also face a 1‑year ban on ATM and internet banking               Police Advisory       The public is warned to steer clear of unlicensed moneylenders and never work for or help them in any capacity.       🔗 Full article: https://asia1.news/44F33oh