Before you complain about your overpriced food, we’ll explain why is it so expensive.
Gone were the days when pasar malams meant indulging in good ol’ Ramly burgers, doughy takoyaki balls and candy floss.
Instead, we’re now treated to an array of multi-coloured, Instagrammable food and an oversupply of vendors selling Thai milk teas. They’re a nice change from the usual offerings, but some of us are still on the fence about it.
With the ongoing Geylang Serai Bazaar incurring the wrath of many pasar malam purists, Straits Times recently revealed the reason why Ramly burgers now cost more than a double cheeseburger from Mac’s – the rental.
Here’s a look at how much a stall will set you back on average because it seems like even those neighbourhood ones aren’t spared either.
Geylang Serai Bazaar
According to checks by Straits Times, a single 3m by 3m space for food and beverage establishments goes for a whopping $17,000. Those for retail, on the other hand, only reaches up to $7,000.
The single space would not suffice for most businesses, which is why stall owners are paying double that amount in rent. Despite the great atmosphere, human traffic and location, stall owners still struggle to catch the attention of their customers. This has resulted in them getting creative to ensure that they can at least break-even.
The escalating rentals are mainly due to the traction it garners which in turn results in increasingly high bids placed for the rights to run a stall at the Geylang Serai Bazaar.
Artbox
Bangkok’s famous flea market Artbox arrived in Singapore with a bang to coincide with this year’s Good Friday long weekend. It was a huge success, in the stall owner’s perspective. However for Singaporeans, not so much. The main gripe so far was that the event is oversubscribed and the crowds just keep coming.
Rental-wise, food stalls went at a rate of $750 for 3 days (about $7,500 per month), which is considerably cheaper in comparison to the Geylang Serai Bazaar. Booths here measured 2m by 2m, and considering the amount of hype, high traffic of local and tourists alike, we’re pretty sure this was quite the bargain.
Neighbourhood Pasar Malams
The Straits Times reported that the cost of a neighbourhood pasar malam stall, presumably those that are big and last for a month or so, can be up to a hefty $10,000/month as compared to a mere $4,000/month five years ago.
Now, if you think that is expensive, wait till you read this: a report by SIFTED, an online magazine that writes about halal food, reported that Mohd Shahrin from Fiery Benjo Burger was charged a whopping $2,333 a day, up from the $100 a day he used to pay a while back.
Do the math and you’ll realize that’s over $72,000 a month.
If you add in manpower, you can imagine how much the total cost is, and how much more affordable it is to just rent a normal shop in the heartlands and spend some money on advertising. So the next time you complain about how overpriced the food are at food bazaars, do spare a thought for the stall owners.