KF Seetoh's S'pore-style 'hawker centre' in New York to close in July

KF Seetoh's Urban Hawker, a Singapore-style food hall in New York, will close on Jul. 17.

The food hall opened in September 2022 and sells popular hawker fare from Singapore.

It is the first of its kind in New York.

In a Jun. 30 Facebook post, Seetoh said the building owners had sold the property for redevelopment.

They had first been alerted to the potential sale a year ago, he added.

"It has been a great four-year run on West 50th St, Manhattan, and it was an exciting step into the NYC market. We are truly grateful for your support all this while," he said.

Future plans

He added that while it may be "curtains down" for Urban Hawker, it is not the end of the road for Singapore fare in New York.

"We are also looking for a spot to house a few more dynamic hawkers in perhaps a kopitiam concept space... NYC and the U.S. is a dynamic and meaningful market for us."

Seetoh's Hainan Jones chicken rice outlet at the DeKalb Market in Brooklyn remains open for business.

The Makansutra founder noted that a few Singapore hawkers have already opened other outlets in New York, with plans to expand further.

Singapore hawkers

At its launch, Urban Hawker had 200 seats and 17 stalls, 11 of which were from Singapore.

Notable names included White Restaurant and Kopifellas.

It made headlines for high prices, including a bowl of prawn noodles priced at US$18 (S$26 at the time).

Former Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Maliki Osman also visited the food hall in 2023 and praised the "incredible" Singaporean cuisine.