There has been much talk about home-based F&B businesses lately. But how did begin?
Here’s a summary of why there’s a “beef” between home-based F&B businesses and traditional eateries.
If you prefer to watch a video about this topic instead, here’s one that we have done:
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“Rental” Started to Kill Traditional F&B Businesses & Home-Based Businesses Went Viral
It all kind of started when reports about eateries closing down due to high rental costs began gaining traction.
You should have seen countless articles about this.
At the same time, over on TikTok, home-based F&B businesses started to go viral.
And I’m not talking about the typical COVID-era home bakers; you know, the ones who take orders via Instagram and send the cake through Lalamove with a thank-you card.
I’m talking about those that set up dining areas in their landed property car porches, serving drinks like a mini-Starbucks. Also, others are turning their HDB living rooms into mini private restaurants. And in the latest viral case, people were even buying food straight from a level-one HDB flat, like it’s a food truck.
@rafeekabdul34 Food Truck in Tampines? #foodtruck #tampines #food #hotdog #nachos @Window Bites ♬ original sound – Rafeek Abdul
These setups started popping up in late 2024, and unsurprisingly, they exploded on TikTok. Some even got featured by mainstream media.
The First Shot Fired
But it was only a matter of time before those who do pay full rent started making some noise.
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Eventually, someone from the traditional F&B scene spoke up. Earlier this month, a restaurant and bar owner who’s been in the business for six years voiced concerns. To them, it wasn’t “fair game”, because home-based eateries don’t have to pay high rent and aren’t regulated like retail ones.
The post went viral. Then, on 16 June, in a Straits Times article, more traditional eateries chimed in, echoing the same word: unfair.
Is It Even Legal?
That brings us to the golden question: are these home-based eateries even legal?
The answer? Yes. And also no. Depends on how they operate.
Under current rules, residents in HDB and private residential areas can run small-scale home-based food businesses. This even includes having seats for guests to dine in.
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There’s no specific limit on how many people you can serve, but authorities have stated that the operations should be done responsibly and must not disturb or inconvenience other residents.
There are also clear guidelines: like the place must still be used as a residence, you can’t hire outsiders or that you can’t display physical ads or signboards.
And yes, enforcement does happen.
For instance, a food-truck-style home-based eatery recently went viral for operating from a level-one HDB unit. Because they had physical signage, they were asked to remove them. Now, all that’s left is a humble doorbell.
@rafeekabdul34 We had to remove our banners and posters 😔#tampines #foodtruck #food #hotdog #nachos #windowbites
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What About Food Safety?
Unlike traditional eateries, home-based F&B businesses don’t need an SFA (Singapore Food Agency) licence. Why? Because the risk is limited by the small scale of their operations.
But if their food turns out to be unsafe? SFA will take action. In fact, they’ve already done so six times in 2024 alone.
So to summarise: those aesthetic, TikTok-famous home-based eateries? Yes, they’re legal.
For now, traditional F&B outlets aren’t asking for a ban yet; they just want the authorities to monitor things more closely.
Would you be jailed for being half-naked in public? Well, the answer will shock you. Seriously. Watch this to the end and you'll understand:
