Singapore food stall opened by two brothers to close after $39,000 losses

Kokoyo Nyonya Delights, a Peranakan food stall at Singapore's Hougang Mall, will close on Nov. 2 after suffering estimated losses of S$50,000 (US$39,000) since relocating there in February.

Kokoyo's co-owner Ernest Ang, 25, said sales had fallen by about 50%, with business becoming increasingly difficult since September, Singapore news outlet 8days.sg reported.

In a video posted on Kokoyo's Instagram page on Oct. 21, Ang and his brother Irwin, 29, announced the stall's closure, citing declining foot traffic at Hougang Mall's fourth-floor food court and growing competition from eateries on other floors.

The brothers said the food court initially attracted plenty of customers when Hougang Mall had fewer dining options. However, renovations and the opening of more eateries on other floors gradually drew diners away, Channel News Asia reported.

The stall first opened as a standalone eatery in Serangoon Central in 2024 before relocating to Jelita Mall and later moving to Hougang Mall.

Ang previously told The Straits Times that he had no experience in the food and beverage industry before starting Kokoyo.

He learned to cook from his maternal grandmother, who sold economy beehoon and Peranakan dishes at Whampoa Food Center for more than 20 years. Peranakan cuisine refers to the hybrid culinary tradition developed by the Peranakan people, descendants of early Chinese settlers who intermarried with local communities in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

Singapore saw 2,101 food business closures between January and July this year, an increase of 25.1% year-on-year amid rising costs and high rents, according to the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority.