A hawker stall at Golden Mile Food Centre has reached a rental bid of S$5,999.

Just a dollar shy of hitting S$6,000.

It was the highest recorded bid for food stalls islandwide for the period of Oct. 13 to 26, as announced by the National Environmental Agency (NEA) in October.

The second highest bid was for a stall at Block 16 Bedok South Road Food Centre at S$5,310 per month.

Previous owner first-generation hawker selling drinks

The Golden Mile Food Centre stall is located on the underground floor at #B1-22.

Its highest bidder is Shahnazar Alam bin Mohd Sager.

This stall used to be a drinks stall.

According to NEA, the stall can now sell cooked food, halal food, Indian food, beverages, or cut fruits.

The next four bidders put up bid ranging from S$3,676.84 to S$4,780.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News on Nov. 15, a beef noodle hawker at Golden Mile Food Centre recalled that the previous tenant of this stall was a first-generation hawker selling drinks.

Unfortunately, the tenant passed away, according to the beef noodle hawker, and the stall was subsequently returned to the authorities.

Closure of Golden Mile Complex affecting business at food centre

One hawker told Shin Min that another hawker had bid S$5,001 for a different drinks stall in 2021, but eventually moved out.

A hairline above the S$5,000 mark.

She said that new hawkers at Golden Mile Food Centre face hurdles like intense competition among the 112 stalls, lower foot traffic post-pandemic, and high operating costs.

Likewise, the chairman of the hawkers' committee shared that the number of diners have reduced since travel agencies moved out of Golden Mile Complex across the road.

Earlier this year in May 2023, tenants of Golden Mile Complex vacated the building before it was handed over to the developers in an en bloc sale.

First time someone bid above S$5,000

Meanwhile, Kok Pei Gee bid S$5,310 for stall #01-04 in Block 16 Bedok South Road Food Centre.

The top five bids for this stall were quite close in value. The next four bidders after Kok put up bids that ranged from around S$4,458 to almost S$4,888.

This is the first time the bid has gone above S$5,000 for a stall at this food centre, the Federation of Merchants' Association told Shin Min.

The previous vendor sold prawn noodles, though he later transferred the stall to his peer, according to the association.

However, the authorities discovered that his acquaintance was working elsewhere, which violated regulations. The lease could not be renewed.

Rising GST & utilities costs may be unsustainable for new stall owners: Hawkers

One stall owner at the Bedok South food centre said that the electricity and water costs, together with an upcoming increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST), may make it unsustainable for new stall owners.

A couple who sells grilled fish at the food centre said that they spend S$1,800 on utility bills alone per month. They bid S$4,180 for their stall. They added that they found it difficult to recoup the bidding costs.

Other stall owners told Shin Min that the food prices must be kept low to cater to many elderly residents living in the vicinity.

They added that many of the stalls mainly open during breakfast and lunch hours, but close in the evening.

Top image from Golden Mile Food Centre/Facebook.

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