“It hurts, losing everything” – Mentai-Ya owner abruptly shuts all stalls with over 550k in losses

If you like Japanese food, you’ll know that it’s not exactly considered the most affordable thing. Despite that, several hawkers such as Mentai-Ya Japanese Cuisine have set up shop in Singapore to try to offer diners wholesome meals at more wallet-friendly prices.

Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, sometimes things don’t work out – the owner of Mentai-Ya, Khoo Keat Hwee, has recently announced the complete closure of his hawker chain.

Since 2021, he has incurred “over S$550,000 in losses”. Between 2023 and 2024, his Mentai-Ya stalls lost approximately S$300,000, with a further S$250,000 from a cafe called Coffee & Chirashi in Choa Chu Kang.

One of the decisions Mr Khoo regretted was registering his business for GST. The act of GST registration caused his food prices to go up by about S$1, but it still pushed his customers away. He had previously cut his food prices in 2024 when he encountered a customer who could not afford to buy her child a meal from Mentai-Ya.

Needless to say, Mr Khoo’s openness about his struggles in the F&B industry have been met with both positive and negative comments.

Some netizens left cruel comments, wishing the worst upon him, but there were also a good number who left him encouraging messages and tried to support his business.

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