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I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the ever-popular Old Airport Road Food Centre is slated to close for 4 months of renovation works from 1 Jun to 30 Sep 2024. This is quite a piece of disheartening news to start the work week, I must say.
The news of Old Airport Road Food Centre‘s temporary closure was first publicised through a post on Shin Min Daily News‘s Facebook page. This seems to be reaffirmed by a photo of a poster geotagged to the hawker centre’s profile on Google Maps. The renovation works will last from 1 Jun to 30 Sep 2024, as inscribed on said poster.
You don’t have to be a resident of Mountbatten or a seasoned hawker hopper to be acquainted with the mainstay hawker gem that is Old Airport Road Food Centre. With a whopping line-up of 168 stalls, it is Singapore’s second-largest hawker centre.
However, 10 of these stalls are reported to be vacant. According to Shin Min, these were reserved exclusively for rent by Halal food vendors. This is in line with National Environment Agency (NEA) stipulations that mandate at least 10% of stalls within a hawker centre be Halal-certified.
Moreover, a stall owner interviewed by Shin Min mentioned that there has been “fierce competition” within the food centre, including rapid turnovers between both well-established names and new vendors.
These seem to be fuelled in part by the upcoming renovation. On one hand, several stalls have chosen not to renew their leases in view of the 4-month hiatus, while some fret about the possible repercussions on their business and footfall. On the other hand, aspiring new vendors may hold off on tenancy for fear of the inability to build and sustain a customer base before the food centre temporarily shuts down.
Nonetheless, many stall-owners remain optimistic about the renovation. They hope that the refurbishment will entice more patrons to dine-in and, hopefully, boost business.
Until then, make your way down to Old Airport Road Food Centre before their break to enjoy some familiar favourites from your go-to stalls or explore the wide variety of other offerings.
23 food stalls at Old Airport Road Food Centre that’ll make it your favourite makan destination
