McDonald’s will Continue Operating at Ridout Tea Garden

Sometime back in April, it was announced that the McDonald’s outlet at Ridout Tea Garden would be ceasing operations in December this year once its lease expired. Many expressed their sadness and disappointment since the outlet has been around for 32 years.

And besides, many memories stemmed from this iconic place.

However, with the latest news, fans can now heave a big sigh of relief and rejoice!

McDonald’s will Continue Operating at Ridout Tea Garden

It seems like the McDonald’s at Ridout Tea Garden won’t be bidding us farewell this December after all, as Hanbaobao, the Singapore licensee of McDonald’s, has been awarded a three-year tender for the 57,453.9 sq ft site with a bid of S$40,000 per month in rent. This amount was the second highest after The Oddle Company, which placed a bid of S$55,000.

According to a Singapore Land Authority (SLA) representative, two factors are considered for each bid, the bid price, and the concept quality. While 13 other food and beverage or retail companies also tried bidding for this site, it ultimately went to Hanbaobao.

The site has two units, and McDonald’s currently occupies one of them. The other was tenanted to real estate developer Hayman since 1 April 2016.

Its lease will expire on 31 December 2021, but it is unclear if McDonald’s will be taking over this unit.

History of the Site at Ridout Tea Garden

Before it became known as the Ridout Tea Garden, the site was actually a small Japanese garden built in 1970 known as the Queenstown Japanese Garden.

It was a popular venue amongst the residents who lived nearby, and many of them frequented the area because of its picturesque views and because of the 23 shops that were available there.

Various items could be found on sale, from furniture, to sports equipment, to clothes, and even electronic goods.

After the residents were done with shopping, they could grab a bite at one of the food and beverage eateries.

So what happened to it? Why did it become the Ridout Tea Garden then?

Well, the Ridout Tea Garden was built in 1980 by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) after a fire destroyed the previous Queenstown Japanese Garden in June 1978.

The iconic McDonald’s outlet that we have all grown to love was set up in 1989 after it replaced Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), which was first opened in 1981.

It has since been operating for 32 years and is currently one of the oldest McDonald’s outlets in Singapore.

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Featured Image: Instagram (lizhe0831/straits_times)