Budget Meal and Drink Options at Privately Owned Coffeeshops

In March 2023, HDB announced the Budget Meals Initiative. Under this scheme, all rental coffee shops that are renewing their tenancies from May 2023 will be required to provide at least 4 budget meals and 2 budget drink options. This may be a viable option for the newer housing estates which has rental coffee-shops. In mature housing estates like Bukit Batok, there are many more privately-owned coffee shops than rental coffee shops. I therefore suggested whether HDB could consider imposing the same budget meal/ drink requirements when these coffeeshops apply to renew the use of Outdoor Refreshment Areas. I am glad to note that HDB is considering my suggestion. My PQ and Minister Desmond Lee’s response to my parliamentary colleague, Mr Chong Kee Hiong, in which reference was made to my PQ, is reproduced below.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the policy requiring operators of HDB rental coffeeshops to provide four budget meals and two budget drinks may be extended to owners of HDB sold coffeeshops located at mature estates by imposing this requirement as a condition in the renewal of permission for them to use their respective outdoor refreshment area at HDB common areas.

Minister Desmond Lee

…[T]here are 402 privately-owned coffee shops which are not subject to HDB’s tenancy requirements. However, HDB has reached out to privately-owned coffee shop owners and operators and invited them to voluntarily join the national effort to provide budget food options in HDB estates. HDB is also studying additional regulatory options to require budget meals to be provided. These include the suggestion made by Mr Murali Pillai in PQ number 4642, set down for answer on 4 July 2023, where he proposes that the provision of budget meals be made a condition for the granting or renewal of outdoor refreshment areas for coffee shops.