Where to Start Food Hawker stall in Singapore?

It is very important to find the right food stall to start your very own hawker business in Singapore. It implicates your crowd you are feeding and how they will perceive about your business.

However, while all these strategic planning happen, you need to know how to start looking for a stall. The anticipated licence, permits and other essential legislation you need to familiarise with may start to overwhelm you. With this article, I aim to clarify and provide you with a summarised overview.

Through Government Website

A fantastic start is to visit the website from National Environment Agency (NEA) and Enterprise One. It is essential to know the 'rules of the game' before you play or you may running to the field for a losing game.

However, if you find the information too exhaustive or difficult to nagivate, I have summarise it below the options you can choose to start with.

Normal Bidding system by NEA

The first type is to obtain the stall via bidding at the hawkers department. The tender list is usually announced every first day of the month in Straits Times newspaper and in NEA website. If you would like to bid from the tender list, you need to drop by NEA customer service center, second floor building, to purchase the bidding form ($10 per copy per bid). Submit the application form at the same office.

The tender will remain open for 2 weeks before it closes. If your bid is successful, you will need to be patient to wait for about 2-3 months to receive a package that includes the tenancy agreement. But, if your bid is unsuccessful, the money order will be returned to you at the end of the same month.

Market Walk-in scheme by NEA

The second type offered by NEA is the 'Market Walk-in scheme'. This method allows you to confirm the stall within the same month. You also need to drop by the same customer service counter at NEA building to obtain the application form. The application form is free, but there is an administrative fee upon form submission.

The Alternative method

Besides getting a food stall directly from the NEA, you can also consider renting directly from the stall owners or through a property agent. A reliable agent will help you through and coordinate the process, provide a market overview and give you some useful advise as well as the resources you need, especially for novice start-up business. It may not necessary be an expensive way but you can most definitely make a comparison and make a strategic decision for your business.

You can find these opportunites from the newspaper classified ads, online ads. Alternatively, you can physically walk down to your favourite food center areas and look out for 'stalls for rent' signs or equivalent.

Useful reference:
1) Selecting a hawker stall
2) ACE Forum