Fika Swedish Cafe and Bistro on Arab Street in Singapore will close on Aug. 14 after 17 years in business, the restaurant announced in an Instagram post, marking the latest closure in Singapore’s struggling F&B sector.
The restaurant was opened in 2009 by Tasneem Noor and her then husband, Swedish national Joakim Smidhagen. It specializes in halal Swedish cuisine and is best known for its signature meatballs, Straits Times reported.
which opened in 2009, thanked customers for their support over the years, saying: “As we celebrate this milestone, we also share that Aug. 14 will be our final day of service at Arab Street.”
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A view of Singapore’s eatery Fika Swedish Cafe and Bistro. Photo courtesy of the eater’s Instagram |
Fika’s closure comes amid a string of restaurant shutdowns in the Kampong Glam area.
Commercial rents in the neighborhood have climbed sharply in recent years, with several Haji Lane tenants reporting increases from around S$3,000 (US$2,340) to nearly S$10,000 a month, Channel News Asia reported.
Casual and fine-dining restaurants have shut down across Singapore since the start of the year, citing rising operating costs and weak consumer demand.
Singapore saw 1,267 food business closures between January and April this year, nearly half the total number of shutdowns throughout last year.