Singapore’s Kith Cafe store count reduced to 2 amid weak customer traffic

By Dat Nguyen January 5, 2026 | 07:34 pm PT

Several Kith Cafe outlets have ceased operations in recent months in Singapore amid a plunge in customer visits, with only 2 stores in operation compared to 10 at its peak.

A West Coast store was closed Monday following the shutdown of an outlet at Millenia Walk in October last year, according to The Straits Times.

A Kith Cafe store in Singapore. Photo courtesy of Kith Cafe

The two outlets that remain open are at Marina Square and New Bahru, both run in collaboration with edutainment children’s park brand Kiztopia.

Founder Jane Hia said that some of its stores have been suspended due to weak customer traffic, and her team is considering a refresh of the store concept.

Franchise owner Andy Lim had publicly shared the difficulties of running a food and beverage outlet, saying in a July 2025 social media post that he incurred losses of about SGD70,000 to SGD90,000 (US$54,600–70,200) within a year of operating the cafe.

The former Republic of Singapore Air Force regular said in an interview with online publication Salt&Light that he used SGD140,000 of his savings to take over the franchise, despite having no prior business experience.

Founded in 2009, Kith Cafe started at Robertson Quay, offering coffee priced between local kopitiam brews (traditional coffees and teas from Malaysian and Singaporean coffee shops) and international chain offerings.

Hia said the food and beverage sector is highly dynamic, requiring brands to adapt quickly.

In an August 2025 report by The Business Times, she said she intended to expand the brand’s business-to-business segment.

She added that she hoped to secure more partnerships to sell Kith Cafe’s cookies at corporate and large-scale events, while also ramping up production.

"This era for cafes is harder than Covid-19. It’s not enough to be trendy or Instagrammable. You have to move fast and keep evolving," she said then.

2025 was the year of closure for many food chains in Singapore. Famed American chain Eggslut shut its last local store on Feb. 28, marking its exit from Singapore. The list goes on with the withdrawal of Burger & Lobster, Fluff Stack, Flor Patisserie and Keong Saik Bakery, among others.