Singapore’s F&B sector faces severe pressures from soaring manpower costs, rising ingredient prices, and softer consumer spending, prompting homegrown café chain Kith Café to close all 12 of its outlets. According to founder Jane Hia, who spent 17 years building the business from a single Robertson Quay coffee joint into a multi-outlet operator, the current operating environment for cafés is harder than it was during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than leaving the industry, Hia is now leveraging her decades of experience to advise struggling restaurant operators, optimize workflows, and develop new operational technologies.
The Rise and Expansion of Kith Café
Jane Hia opened the first Kith Café in 2009 as a small coffee shop along Robertson Quay, drawing inspiration from a student exchange programme in Milan during her time at the National University of Singapore. Armed with a design background that shaped the brand’s open layouts and modular furniture, Hia priced the coffee at S$3.80 to position it between traditional kopi and international chains like Starbucks. The formula proved successful, allowing the business to expand steadily over the next decade.
By 2023, the homegrown café chain operated 12 outlets and employed more than 80 full-time staff alongside roughly 100 part-timers. As its original customer base grew older and started families, Kith evolved to meet their needs. The business introduced children’s meals in 2018 before expanding into birthday parties, event planning, and catering. According to Hia, the kids segment eventually became one of the company’s fastest-growing and highest-value revenue streams, featuring children’s bentos, cookie-baking sessions, and weekend workshops covering pizza-making, pasta-making, pottery, and robotics.
Pro Tip: F&B Financial Discipline
According to Jane Hia, relying on hope is a major risk in the food and beverage industry. Operators must maintain strict cost advantages and disciplined finances, because if the math does not work out, hoping the business will eventually turn around is not an effective strategy.
Post-Pandemic Pressures and Outlets Closures
Despite steady diversification into family-friendly offerings, Kith Café was not immune to broader market headwinds. According to Hia, the optimism that many operators anticipated following COVID-19 failed to materialize. Instead, soaring manpower expenses, escalating ingredient prices, and softer consumer spending squeezed profit margins across the board.
The chain gradually wound down operations as foot traffic slowed. Among the closures was the West Coast outlet, which ceased operations in January 2026 after franchisee Andy Lim reportedly suffered losses of between S$70,000 and S$90,000 during his first year. Although that specific location became profitable in its final months, Hia noted that Lim ultimately chose to close it for personal reasons. The final two outlets, located at Marina Square and New Bahru, ceased operations earlier this year.
Reflecting on the commercial climate in an interview with the Business Times last year, Hia stated that this era for cafés is harder than the pandemic, noting that operators can no longer rely solely on being trendy or Instagrammable, but must move fast and keep evolving.
Transitioning to F&B Consultancy and Advisory Work
Rather than walking away from the sector, Hia has transitioned into an advisory role for other struggling restaurant and hospitality operators. Earlier this year, the owner of a cruise ship engaged her to set up an onboard restaurant, café, and KTV lounge. Beyond menu development, her responsibilities included overseeing renovations, designing operational workflows, and implementing payment systems.
Industry contacts have also started referring restaurant owners facing financial distress to her services. For one client, Hia recommended relocating to larger but more affordable premises to immediately boost profitability, while also assisting with manpower scheduling and recruiting a new head chef. To maintain a ground-level understanding of current industry challenges, Hia occasionally picks up casual frontline serving shifts through the staffing platform Staffie.
Furthermore, Hia is collaborating with a technology company to build a real-time software dashboard that consolidates accounting, procurement, staffing costs, and scheduling into a single platform for food businesses. She is also developing a boot camp designed to teach prospective restaurateurs the practical aspects of opening a venue, covering government regulations, GST registration, kitchen layouts, and financial planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused the closure of Kith Café?
Kith Café closed its remaining outlets due to soaring manpower costs, rising ingredient prices, softer consumer spending, and declining foot traffic following the pandemic.
How many outlets did Kith Café operate at its peak?
At its peak, Kith Café operated 12 outlets across Singapore, employing over 80 full-time staff and about 100 part-timers.
What is Jane Hia doing now after closing Kith Café?
Jane Hia works as an F&B consultant and adviser, helping operators streamline workflows, negotiate supplier deals, and improve financial planning. She is also developing a restaurant boot camp and a real-time management dashboard for food businesses.
Where can F&B operators contact Jane Hia for advisory services?
Jane Hia can be reached through her official consultancy website at janehia.com.
Explore more insights on Singaporean businesses to stay updated on local industry trends and enterprise strategies.
Worth a look