SINGAPORE: When coffee shop owner Ben Leem renovated his premises last month, he decided it was time to give the toilet a facelift too.
After being fined and issued demerit points by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for failing to meet toilet cleanliness standards, he knew he had to do something or risk incurring heavier penalties.
“This was one of the big reasons why we (decided to renovate the toilet). We knew the authorities would just keep coming back,” said the 48-year-old owner of Coffee Sense at 181 Ang Mo Kio Ave 5.
“The toilet was not very dirty but there’s only so much we can do for the maintenance,” he said, adding that the coffee shop had not been renovated since he took over a decade ago.
Despite washing the toilet twice daily, the heavy usage had taken its toll. Tiles were damaged, stains persisted and explanations fell on deaf ears during inspections.
"We tend to use stronger cleaning agents to wash it, so some of it can be corrosive, which might have damaged the tiles," he said. "So that particular piece of tile was damaged, but no matter how much we tried to explain, to them it was just mould or a stain, and we should do something about it."
After being fined and issued demerit points, Ben Leem knew he had to upgrade his coffee shop's deteriorating toilet or risk incurring heavier penalties. (Photo: Ben Leem)
When he learnt about the National Environment Agency's (NEA) new Coffeeshop Toilet Renovation Grant, he quickly applied.
The grant offers operators up to 95 per cent of renovation costs, capped at S$50,000 (US$39,600) per coffee shop. Another deep cleaning grant similarly co-funds up to 95 per cent of a two-year cleaning contract, capped at S$25,000.
The two S$5 million grants, announced last year following recommendations by the Public Toilets Taskforce, aim to raise hygiene standards across Singapore's coffee shops.
NEA told CNA that as of Jan 31, it had received 175 applications across both grants since they opened on Nov 3 last year.
Mr Leem's coffee shop is the first to complete its toilet renovation under the scheme.
The toilet now has sensor taps, full-length urinals in the men’s stall and new fixtures throughout.
Ben Leem's coffee shop toilet after the renovation. (Photo: Ben Leem)
The S$49,000 upgrade brought immediate results, Mr Leem said.
“We still clean twice a day but the difference is very significant. There is no more unpleasant smell,” he said.
When CNA visited in February, the toilet was clean, with no visible stains or odours.
Mr Leem spent S$49,000 to renovate the toilet at his coffee shop. (Photo: Ben Leem)
Other operators cited similar reasons for applying, saying their toilets required upgrades due to heavy usage and wear and tear. Some said renovation was a way to comply with standards and avoid enforcement action.
Under SFA's Points Demerit System, coffee shops can incur demerit points for toilet-related lapses. Accumulating 12 points within a year can trigger a one- to three-day suspension.
Mr Kenneth Lee, who owns Hai Fong coffee shop in Toa Payoh, has not been fined by authorities yet, but acknowledged that his toilets were not “up to standards”.
“My toilet is quite old – the last renovation was about 10 years ago and it was just a touch-up. So it’s time to do a renovation because the usage for the toilet is very heavy,” he said.
“I know of some operators who already got fined or suspended," he added. "Even if you think a one-day suspension is nothing ... you can reopen but you don’t know when (the authorities) will be back. And when they come back, this time, maybe the suspension will be three days.
“As operators, we aren’t just selling coffee, we are also renting out the stalls and so if we ask the stallholders to close (because of the suspension), there is no income.”
The Foochow Coffee Restaurant and Bar Merchants Association, representing around 400 members, said many intend to apply due to the attractive subsidy.
But not all operators are convinced, with some wary of the costs, business disruption and practical challenges involved.
Mr Wong Kee Mee, who owns Keng Wah Sung cafe along Geylang Road, has no plans to apply for either grant. Space constraints and existing cleaning routines made renovation impractical, he said.
His pre-war shop unit has just two cubicles – a squat toilet and two side-by-side urinals – leaving little room for upgrades.
“Because mine is an old-style coffee shop … there is not much we can do because of the space constraints. It’s not like the ones in HDB (estates), which have a bigger space to play around with,” he said.
Wong Kee Mee's coffee shop toilet before the partial renovation. (Photo: Wong Kee Mee)
Although he was fined a total of S$2,000 over two incidents last year for failing to meet toilet cleanliness standards, Mr Wong said he has since made improvements and is focused on maintaining daily cleaning routines.
The 68-year-old spent S$2,500 of his own money retiling floors and walls in the toilet cubicles over a weekend to minimise disruption to the business.
When CNA visited on Wednesday, he was seen inspecting the toilet and ensuring that the fixtures were properly flushed.
Wong Kee Mee spent S$2,500 of his own money retiling the floor and walls in his coffee shop toilet. (Photo: Wong Kee Mee)
Others worry about upfront costs.
Mr Adrian Ng, who runs 27A Coffee Shop in Geylang, called the renovation financially daunting despite the hefty subsidy.
“The market now is so bad. Just look around – it’s lunch hour now but it's like ghost town here,” he said.
His coffee shop was fined S$1,300 and suspended for a day last year for failing to keep the toilets “clean and in good repair”. When CNA visited, the floor tiles showed wear and tear and the toilet seat had yellowed, though there was no noticeable odour.
Asked whether he'd rather risk fines than pay for renovations, Mr Ng said: "No budget, so no choice ... we can only keep washing."
Mr Leem – who is waiting for reimbursement from NEA – acknowledged that the need to pay contractors first and wait three to six months for reimbursement could create cash flow pressures for some coffee shop owners.
“I've actually spoken to a few other operators, and they are actually quite keen (to apply for the renovation grant),” he said.
Business disruption is one concern. Renovation could take several weeks and the coffee shop would have to close during the period. Some coffee shops with bigger toilets might also need more than S$50,000 for renovation, he said.
“So for them to come up with the money to pay the contractor first and then to get reimbursed maybe like three to four months later … it’s something that they have to think about."
The Restroom Association of Singapore said enforcement and outreach are making an impact, but persuading operators to improve their toilet standards remains challenging.
Some coffee shop owners are not convinced that a clean toilet would help their business. “Out of 10 (coffee shops) that we speak to, maybe five will say that they don't need it," said the association's president Ho Chee Kit.
“Unlike shopping centres, which want to hold shoppers in their centres for as long as they can because that translates to revenue, for coffee shops, that correlation is … weaker,” he said.
“In a coffee shop, it’s usually – I buy, I eat, I go off. So it is more difficult to convince them.”
Still, RAS pushes harder on operators with visibly poor facilities.
"Those that are very dirty, very old … we try to convince them to adopt the NEA’s coffee shop toilet renovation scheme,” Mr Ho added.
RAS launched its Happy Toilet Programme for coffee shops last year, rating facilities between three and six stars based on cleanliness, design and maintenance. As of Feb 13, 10 coffee shops, including Mr Leem's, have received certification.
For Mr Leem, the investment has paid off.
Business has risen by roughly 20 per cent since reopening in January, though he attributes part of this to broader renovations.
“Having a clean toilet is good ... If we have happier customers using the toilet, they will have a happier time at our premises and then they will think about whether they'll be back again or not another day,” he said.
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After being fined and issued demerit points by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for failing to meet toilet cleanliness standards, he knew he had to do something or risk incurring heavier penalties.
“This was one of the big reasons why we (decided to renovate the toilet). We knew the authorities would just keep coming back,” said the 48-year-old owner of Coffee Sense at 181 Ang Mo Kio Ave 5.
“The toilet was not very dirty but there’s only so much we can do for the maintenance,” he said, adding that the coffee shop had not been renovated since he took over a decade ago.
Despite washing the toilet twice daily, the heavy usage had taken its toll. Tiles were damaged, stains persisted and explanations fell on deaf ears during inspections.
"We tend to use stronger cleaning agents to wash it, so some of it can be corrosive, which might have damaged the tiles," he said. "So that particular piece of tile was damaged, but no matter how much we tried to explain, to them it was just mould or a stain, and we should do something about it."
After being fined and issued demerit points, Ben Leem knew he had to upgrade his coffee shop's deteriorating toilet or risk incurring heavier penalties. (Photo: Ben Leem)
When he learnt about the National Environment Agency's (NEA) new Coffeeshop Toilet Renovation Grant, he quickly applied.
The grant offers operators up to 95 per cent of renovation costs, capped at S$50,000 (US$39,600) per coffee shop. Another deep cleaning grant similarly co-funds up to 95 per cent of a two-year cleaning contract, capped at S$25,000.
The two S$5 million grants, announced last year following recommendations by the Public Toilets Taskforce, aim to raise hygiene standards across Singapore's coffee shops.
NEA told CNA that as of Jan 31, it had received 175 applications across both grants since they opened on Nov 3 last year.
Mr Leem's coffee shop is the first to complete its toilet renovation under the scheme.
The toilet now has sensor taps, full-length urinals in the men’s stall and new fixtures throughout.
Ben Leem's coffee shop toilet after the renovation. (Photo: Ben Leem)
The S$49,000 upgrade brought immediate results, Mr Leem said.
“We still clean twice a day but the difference is very significant. There is no more unpleasant smell,” he said.
When CNA visited in February, the toilet was clean, with no visible stains or odours.
Mr Leem spent S$49,000 to renovate the toilet at his coffee shop. (Photo: Ben Leem)
Other operators cited similar reasons for applying, saying their toilets required upgrades due to heavy usage and wear and tear. Some said renovation was a way to comply with standards and avoid enforcement action.
Under SFA's Points Demerit System, coffee shops can incur demerit points for toilet-related lapses. Accumulating 12 points within a year can trigger a one- to three-day suspension.
Mr Kenneth Lee, who owns Hai Fong coffee shop in Toa Payoh, has not been fined by authorities yet, but acknowledged that his toilets were not “up to standards”.
“My toilet is quite old – the last renovation was about 10 years ago and it was just a touch-up. So it’s time to do a renovation because the usage for the toilet is very heavy,” he said.
“I know of some operators who already got fined or suspended," he added. "Even if you think a one-day suspension is nothing ... you can reopen but you don’t know when (the authorities) will be back. And when they come back, this time, maybe the suspension will be three days.
“As operators, we aren’t just selling coffee, we are also renting out the stalls and so if we ask the stallholders to close (because of the suspension), there is no income.”
The Foochow Coffee Restaurant and Bar Merchants Association, representing around 400 members, said many intend to apply due to the attractive subsidy.
RELUCTANCE TO RENOVATE
But not all operators are convinced, with some wary of the costs, business disruption and practical challenges involved.
Mr Wong Kee Mee, who owns Keng Wah Sung cafe along Geylang Road, has no plans to apply for either grant. Space constraints and existing cleaning routines made renovation impractical, he said.
His pre-war shop unit has just two cubicles – a squat toilet and two side-by-side urinals – leaving little room for upgrades.
“Because mine is an old-style coffee shop … there is not much we can do because of the space constraints. It’s not like the ones in HDB (estates), which have a bigger space to play around with,” he said.
Wong Kee Mee's coffee shop toilet before the partial renovation. (Photo: Wong Kee Mee)
Although he was fined a total of S$2,000 over two incidents last year for failing to meet toilet cleanliness standards, Mr Wong said he has since made improvements and is focused on maintaining daily cleaning routines.
The 68-year-old spent S$2,500 of his own money retiling floors and walls in the toilet cubicles over a weekend to minimise disruption to the business.
When CNA visited on Wednesday, he was seen inspecting the toilet and ensuring that the fixtures were properly flushed.
Wong Kee Mee spent S$2,500 of his own money retiling the floor and walls in his coffee shop toilet. (Photo: Wong Kee Mee)
Others worry about upfront costs.
Mr Adrian Ng, who runs 27A Coffee Shop in Geylang, called the renovation financially daunting despite the hefty subsidy.
“The market now is so bad. Just look around – it’s lunch hour now but it's like ghost town here,” he said.
His coffee shop was fined S$1,300 and suspended for a day last year for failing to keep the toilets “clean and in good repair”. When CNA visited, the floor tiles showed wear and tear and the toilet seat had yellowed, though there was no noticeable odour.
Asked whether he'd rather risk fines than pay for renovations, Mr Ng said: "No budget, so no choice ... we can only keep washing."
Mr Leem – who is waiting for reimbursement from NEA – acknowledged that the need to pay contractors first and wait three to six months for reimbursement could create cash flow pressures for some coffee shop owners.
“I've actually spoken to a few other operators, and they are actually quite keen (to apply for the renovation grant),” he said.
Business disruption is one concern. Renovation could take several weeks and the coffee shop would have to close during the period. Some coffee shops with bigger toilets might also need more than S$50,000 for renovation, he said.
“So for them to come up with the money to pay the contractor first and then to get reimbursed maybe like three to four months later … it’s something that they have to think about."
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CHANGING MINDSETS
The Restroom Association of Singapore said enforcement and outreach are making an impact, but persuading operators to improve their toilet standards remains challenging.
Some coffee shop owners are not convinced that a clean toilet would help their business. “Out of 10 (coffee shops) that we speak to, maybe five will say that they don't need it," said the association's president Ho Chee Kit.
“Unlike shopping centres, which want to hold shoppers in their centres for as long as they can because that translates to revenue, for coffee shops, that correlation is … weaker,” he said.
“In a coffee shop, it’s usually – I buy, I eat, I go off. So it is more difficult to convince them.”
Still, RAS pushes harder on operators with visibly poor facilities.
"Those that are very dirty, very old … we try to convince them to adopt the NEA’s coffee shop toilet renovation scheme,” Mr Ho added.
RAS launched its Happy Toilet Programme for coffee shops last year, rating facilities between three and six stars based on cleanliness, design and maintenance. As of Feb 13, 10 coffee shops, including Mr Leem's, have received certification.
For Mr Leem, the investment has paid off.
Business has risen by roughly 20 per cent since reopening in January, though he attributes part of this to broader renovations.
“Having a clean toilet is good ... If we have happier customers using the toilet, they will have a happier time at our premises and then they will think about whether they'll be back again or not another day,” he said.
Continue reading...