The new measures outlined by the government earlier today (April 3) have been swift, and for some F&B owners, very sudden. Today’s guidelines are the most stringent to date, though everyone is still allowed to freely leave their homes for essential services, unlike say in Italy, where citizens are required to fill up an official form before going out. According to a press release by Singapore’s Ministry of Trade & Industry, the recent measures “include the closure of workplace premises, retail outlets except for those necessary to support the daily living needs of the population, and limiting restaurants and food and beverage outlets to takeaway or delivery only”. All these are “additional measures to minimise further spread of Covid-19 cases”. They are to be enforced from 7 April (Tuesday) to 4 May 2020, “but this may be extended if necessary”.
We spoke to three restaurateurs from Tanuki Raw, Picnic and Naked Finn, and the general vibe was one of measured urgency as they scrambled to make sense of the new regulations and pivot from their usual business plans.
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1/101/10Hawker centres & restaurants remain open, but for takeaways only -
2/102/10Howard Lo of Tanuki Raw: “We’re scrambling” -
3/103/10Silver lining -
4/104/10Cheng Hsin Yao of Picnic: Staff lay-offs “inevitable” -
5/105/10You can still tapow this yummy chicken rice from Picnic -
6/106/10What’s needed badly now: rental waivers -
7/107/10Ken Loon of Naked Finn: “We’ll offer frozen seafood & ready-to-cook meals” -
8/108/10Pivot to offer ingredients for home cooks -
9/109/10Easy and safe food collection -
10/1010/10No plans to retrench staff or reduce salary