2025 hasn't been the best year for F&B in Singapore, with multiple restaurants and chains closing down.

In today's episode, we sit down with Alex Chua and Jose Alonso from AC Concepts to discuss all things F&B. Are landlords are really to blame for the recent F&B closures? Are Home-based businesses unfairly competing with restaurants? What is it really like to work as a chef, and more.

Timestamps:

01:16 - Alex and Jose introduction

01:51 - What is AC concepts

03:50 - The reality of working as a chef

06:27 - How they decide on the menu

08:39 - “restaurant is not food”

13:58 - Singaporeans = experts on Japanese food?

18:53 - On F&B businesses shutting down

20:54 - On landlords raising rent

24:54 - Are people dining out less?

26:49 - Home-based businesses = competition?

30:02 - On Chinese brands like Haidilao and Mixue etc

32:41 - Is local hawker culture dying?

34:48 - Thoughts on food influencers/social media

36:43 - Final words of advice

 

 

Credits:

Written by: Daryl Choo and Andrew Wong

Hosted by: Lynette Koh and Andrew Wong

Edited by: Andrew Wong

Produced by: Daryl Choo

Send your questions, thoughts, story ideas, and feedback to thrivebt@sph.com.sg

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Discover more BT podcast series:

BT Mark To Market at: bt.sg/btmark2mkt 

WealthBT at: bt.sg/btpropertybt

PropertyBT at: bt.sg/btmktfocus

BT Money Hacks at: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks

BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus

BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/podcasts

BT Branded Podcasts at: bt.sg/brpod

BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson

2025 hasn't been the best year for F&amp;B in Singapore, with multiple restaurants and chains closing down.
In today's episode, we sit down with Alex Chua and Jose Alonso from AC Concepts to discuss all things F&amp;B. Are landlords are really to blame for the recent F&amp;B closures? Are Home-based businesses unfairly competing with restaurants? What is it really like to work as a chef, and more.
Timestamps:
01:16 - Alex and Jose introduction
01:51 - What is AC concepts
03:50 - The reality of working as a chef
06:27 - How they decide on the menu
08:39 - &ldquo;restaurant is not food&rdquo;
13:58 - Singaporeans = experts on Japanese food?
18:53 - On F&amp;B businesses shutting down
20:54 - On landlords raising rent
24:54 - Are people dining out less?
26:49 - Home-based businesses = competition?
30:02 - On Chinese brands like Haidilao and Mixue etc
32:41 - Is local hawker culture dying?
34:48 - Thoughts on food influencers/social media
36:43 - Final words of advice
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Credits:
Written by: Daryl Choo and Andrew Wong
Hosted by: Lynette Koh and Andrew Wong
Edited by: Andrew Wong
Produced by: Daryl Choo
Send your questions, thoughts, story ideas, and feedback to thrivebt<a href="mailto:btpodcasts@sph.com.sg">@sph.com.sg</a>
------
Discover more BT podcast series:
BT Mark To Market at:&nbsp;<a href="https://bt.sg/btmark2mkt">bt.sg/btmark2mkt</a>&nbsp;
WealthBT at:&nbsp;<a href="https://bt.sg/btpropertybt">bt.sg/btpropertybt</a>
PropertyBT at:&nbsp;<a href="https://bt.sg/btmktfocus">bt.sg/btmktfocus</a>
BT Money Hacks at:&nbsp;<a href="https://bt.sg/btmoneyhacks">bt.sg/btmoneyhacks</a>
BT Market Focus at:&nbsp;<a href="https://bt.sg/btmktfocus">bt.sg/btmktfocus</a>
BT Podcasts at:&nbsp;<a href="https://bt.sg/podcasts">bt.sg/podcasts</a>
BT Branded Podcasts at:&nbsp;<a href="https://bt.sg/brpod">bt.sg/brpod</a>
BT Lens On:&nbsp;<a href="http://bt.sg/btlenson">bt.sg/btlenson</a>

For young audiences to uncover the day-to-day realities of various careers in Singapore. Get an unfiltered look behind the scenes, debunking the most common myths and misconceptions.

thrive is the young audience initiative of The Business Times. In this new series by thrive, we’ll be uncovering the day-to-day realities of various jobs in Singapore. Taking an unfiltered look behind the scenes, we aim to debunk myths about these careers.

Podcaster: thrive 

Produced by: The Business Times, SPH Media 

thrive is the young audience initiative of The Business Times. In this new series by thrive, we&rsquo;ll be uncovering the day-to-day realities of various jobs in Singapore. Taking an unfiltered look behind the scenes, we aim to debunk myths about these careers.
Podcaster: thrive&nbsp;
Produced by: The Business Times, SPH Media&nbsp;

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