Banquet FoodCourt has served its very last meal

[Darthrevan]

Halal foodcourt operator Banquet has thrown in the kitchen towel, just as shop rents escalate and firms struggle with the manpower crunch.

The home-grown chain, which opened in 2000, had 46 outlets in its heyday. By last year, only 14 remained. This number dwindled to just five outlets by June this year.

And now there are none, going by MyPaper checks.

Rival operator Kopitiam has taken over the outlets at VivoCity, HarbourFront Centre and Jurong Point.

NTUC Foodfare will replace Banquet's outlet in Clifford Centre in Raffles Place next month, according to a notice in the mall, and the outlet in IMM Building is now managed by Teck Kee, which also runs House of Steamboat in Bugis.

All the new eateries are halal foodcourts.

Calls to Banquet's owner, Mr Alan Lee, went unanswered, but a spokesman for Kopitiam said that it was approached by the landlords of the malls to be the new tenant.

According to two stallholders who did not want to be named, Banquet still owes them some money.

Ms Sarah Lim, a retail lecturer from Singapore Polytechnic, said that the chain was likely a victim of high rents and manpower costs, which "may have pushed them into the red".

Pointing out that it may have expanded too fast, she added: "There are also so many new players with modern foodcourts and interesting themes."

Source: http://news.omy.sg/News/Local-News/Banquet-has-served-its-very-last-meal-222990

[Coolpica]

Bye bye my Banquet card and the $30 stored value... sob sob

Edited November 25, 2013 by Coolpica

[2BDriver]

Can I buy you a meal over at Banquet Food Court on their last day and posting our field report here

[Coolpica]

U can use my card if u can find a Banquet Foodcourt...

[2BDriver]

U can use my card if u can find a Banquet Foodcourt...

This card will making another business failure history of Singapore

[Toothiewabbit]

Coffee's not bad at Banquet though.

[Vega]

Coffee's not bad at Banquet though.

Their tea also not bad.

[Othello]

never learn lesson of 1.99 shop. to maintain one outlet business already tough, imagine 46 foodcourts ?!? Total rent so HUGE, must always be prudent..... Hire a good management accountant, and don't let GREED overcome your business appetite

[Babyt]

well...some strategy experts said u must capture market shares as fast as u can LOL.

[Vega]

I am always very skeptical about those prepaid value cards and those saloon package where you pay in advance 10 sessions and get 1 free. If the company decided to fold, you will lose all the balance.

[Vid]

Don't flame me but I've never really like banquet food courts. Lousy food most of the time. Not that other food courts are better but banquet is near the bottom.

[Lala81]

never actually had the chance to even try it. Lol...

[Shull]

Never liked banquet foodcourt leh.. Actually, i try to avoid foodcourt food as much as possible. Overpriced and totally not value for money.

[Wolfy3769]

when all food court are halah...the only selling point of banquet is gone...

 

if they acknowledge and run the place like normal food court, they may still be able to get some market share...

[Kangadrool]

when all food court are halah...the only selling point of banquet is gone...

 

if they acknowledge and run the place like normal food court, they may still be able to get some market share...

Not all, but almost all are with at least 1 halal stall. For Banquet, every stall inside is halal including those fried kway teow and minced meat noodles.

[Ender]

Some chinese food cannot be made halah.. Just don't taste right.

[Mockngbrd]

Good riddance.... one of the worst food court chains ever... probably THE worst...

[Kangadrool]

Some chinese food cannot be made halah.. Just don't taste right.

Some food just cannot do without pork and lard. Fried kway teow is one of them.