Singapore’s restaurant sector is entering 2026 after a year of elevated churn, with thousands of new outlets opening in 2025 even as a large number shut — particularly among sit-down restaurants operating on thin margins. Rising rents, higher labour and ingredient costs, and more cautious consumer spending have sharpened pressures on mid- to upper-tier establishments, at a time when regional dining competition is also intensifying.

On this episode of Morning Shot, Dr. Guy Llewellyn, Assistant Professor of Hospitality at EHL Hospitality Business School, joins the Breakfast Show to discuss what these pressures mean for Singapore’s restaurant landscape in 2026, and how operators are adapting their concepts and business models to remain viable.