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Men hog tables at Han's Cafe in Chinatown to consume own food, chit chat and read newspapers
PHOTO: STOMP
Cherlynn Ng
PublishedNov 19, 2025, 05:39pm
Submitted by Tomato
A group of men have apparently been hogging tables at Han's Cafe in Chinatown Point every weekend.
Stomper Tomato said the men spend hours chatting and reading newspapers, consume their own food and drinks, and leave their trash behind.
Tomato, who shared photos of the group at the cafe on Oct 4 and 11, explained:
"Every weekend (without fail), this group of eight to ten senior men will occupy three to four tables, but order only one cup of Han's beverage each or less.
"They bring food, snacks, fruits and herbal drinks bought from other places to read newspapers and chit chat for more than three hours during the cafe peak period. They also leave behind their trash for Han's staff to clear!"
Tomato noted that Han's is a self-service cafe: "The staff are often too occupied with taking orders and dispensing food behind the counters. There was an occasion when a staff member cautioned them for consuming food and beverages bought elsewhere in Han's Cafe, but they simply ignored the worker!
"With such inconsiderate hogging of tables, other patrons have difficulty in finding a seat during lunch and tea time. I feel sorry for Han's management as the opportunity costs are huge with poor turnover rate of tables, leading to fewer customers served and potentially lower revenue."
The Stomper feels that such behaviour is part of the larger issue of how difficult it is for F&B businesses to stay afloat.
"Is this one of the many reasons why F&B businesses are difficult to sustain? Tomato asked.
"As patrons, we should be mindful of the opportunity costs; not occupying seats for a prolonged period and consuming food/drinks bought elsewhere."
According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, there were 2,431 F&B closures in Singapore in the first 10 months of 2025. More than 60% of these businesses had been registered for five years or fewer and among that group, 82% were not profitable.
Intense competition, rising costs of rent and labour, and Singaporeans dining in Johor Bahru were some of the challenges cited.
However, could Stomper Tomato have identified another factor?
Tomato added: "My intention is not to shame these men but to highlight the seat hogging issue, which leads to fewer customers served and lower revenue for F&B operators!"
