\n<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cup to standards\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy toilet is quite old \u2013 the last renovation was about 10 years ago and it was just a touch-up. So it\u2019s time to do a renovation because the usage for the toilet is very heavy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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\u2019t know when (the authorities) will be back. And when they come back, this time, maybe the suspension will be three days.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs operators, we aren\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Foochow Coffee Restaurant and Bar Merchants Association, representing around 400 members, said many intend to apply due to the attractive subsidy.<\/p>\n
But not all operators are convinced, with some wary of the costs, business disruption and practical challenges involved.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
His pre-war shop unit has just two cubicles \u2013 a squat toilet and two side-by-side urinals \u2013 leaving little room for upgrades.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause mine is an old-style coffee shop \u2026 there is not much we can do because of the space constraints. It\u2019s not like the ones in HDB (estates), which have a bigger space to play around with,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n