Popular Jurong West Coffeeshop Adjusted Rental Prices But Stallholders Aren’t Increasing Prices

By
George Yang
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If you live in the west, you’d know about the old 400s Jurong West and the 500s Jurong West.

Both areas, which are between Lakeside MRT Station and Chinese Garden MRT Station, have a dense population with lots of good food, and if you head there now and also travelled back in time to the 80s, you’d probably see the same hawkers selling the exact same food.

Usually, new hawkers trying to sell some fancy food there would fold within months, because competing with those established stalls are akin to mama shop competing with supermarket: no horse run.

One of the more popular coffeeshops, fondly called “496” (as it’s located in that block) by residents there, has just gone through a million-dollar switch of owners. According to 8World, the coffeeshop was sold for at eight-figure sum—which is more than $10 million.

Therefore, rent has been “adjusted”.

Moreover, after that, the entire coffeeshop was renovated.

So you bet that prices of food there are going to increase, right?

Well. You must live in the east.

Stallholders that stayed on aren’t biting the bullet.

According to 8World, there has been a slight adjustment in the rental after the new owner took over, though the owner highlighted that it is still “acceptable”.

As someone who lived in the west and have eaten in the coffeeshop numerous times, I can attest that any adjustment isn’t going to affect the stallholders there—you’d know if you’ve been there. People from the east do head there just to try out the ban mian.

The new owner said that the food stalls (the ones that stay) haven’t raised food prices so as to take care of their regular customers.

Lest you’re not aware, there are now many elderly in the area, as it’s a mature estate and many of the younger folks who lived there have moved out.

The stallholders interviewed by 8World said that they’ve the support of their customers, and would avoid passing the added costs to them.

The coffeeshop last switched owners back in 2001, when it was sold for $6,700,000.

In addition to the old stalls, the coffeeshop now has some “branded” newcomers like Chef Kin HK Wanton Noodle, Rong Cheng Rou Gu Cha and Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice.

It reopened early last month, and let’s just say that when it reopened, I, too, queued for the fancy new stalls that plastered its shopfront with reviews from food bloggers despite the higher prices.

Now, whenever I’m back, I’d head back to have my comfort ban mian even when there’s no queue in the new stalls.

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Featured Image: 8world.com

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George Yang
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