Restaurant and Cafe Singapore Fit Out Cost in Singapore

If you are in the restaurant business, you know how hard it is. It’s one of the riskiest businesses in the world with over 98% restaurants shutting down within the first year. So why is a restaurant renovation important?

Cost of Shop Renovation is written here.

The cost to fit out a cafe in Singapore varies widely, depending on factors such as location, size, design complexity, materials, and equipment. Here’s a general guide:

Table of Contents

1. Basic Fit Out (Budget/Minimalist Cafe)

Cost: SGD 200 – SGD 350 per sq ft
Includes: Basic flooring, paint, simple lighting, basic furniture, minimal joinery, standard kitchen equipment.
Suitable for: Small cafes, takeaway concepts, or startups with a minimal design.

2. Mid-Range Fit Out (Standard Cafe)

Cost: SGD 350 – SGD 550 per sq ft
Includes: Better quality finishes, custom joinery (counters, shelves), feature lighting, branding elements, improved kitchen equipment, some design features.
Suitable for: Established brands, cafes with dine-in focus, those wanting to create a strong brand presence.

3. High-End Fit Out (Premium/Designer Cafe)

Cost: SGD 550 – SGD 800+ per sq ft
Includes: Designer finishes, custom furniture, high-end kitchen equipment, advanced lighting and AV, specialty flooring/walls, unique design features.
Suitable for: Flagship outlets, large or high-traffic locations, cafes with a strong design or thematic focus.

Other Cost Considerations

Size of Space: Typical cafe units are 500 – 2,000 sq ft.
Kitchen Equipment: Espresso machines, ovens, refrigeration, etc., can be a significant portion of the budget.
Regulatory Costs: Licenses, fire safety, and NEA requirements can add to costs.
Professional Fees: Interior designer, project manager, and permit application fees (typically 10–15% of total cost).

Typical Example Calculation

For a 1,000 sq ft standard cafe:

SGD 350–550 x 1,000 = SGD 350,000 – 550,000

Tips

Reusing existing fittings can save costs.

Always budget for contingencies (10–15%).

Costs can be higher for prime locations (e.g., Orchard, CBD).

Fitting out a shophouse may cost more due to structural constraints.

Restaurant Renovation Singapore

The restaurant business is very trend based. This means what was a popular food choice in the past, may not be in the future. Or what was a popular decor style in the past, may not be a popular choice in the future. In the restaurant business, there is a lot of chopping and changing. From the food menu to the staff to the decor. It’s very important to understand the trends of the consumer every once in a while.

Recently the trend of healthy eating has risen. This means your decor and the marketing on your restaurant should suggest that only top and healthy ingredients are used and so on.

Premium pricing requires premium decor

In Singapore, food is cheap. You can get the tastiest and most fulfilling meal for just $2. If you are a restaurant, then you have a lot of competition. This includes hawker stalls that sell for cheap? How are you different and why should people come to your restaurant?

They come not only for the food, but also for the ambience and decor. People pay for a premium experience and they want a feast for the eyes as well. Beautiful decorations and artful paintings are important for a premium restaurant. From the chairs and tables, to even the cutlery, everything should scream premium for the patron to open their wallets and spend.

If you want to stand out from the other places that sell food, then you need to make sure your decor speaks before your food speaks.

Branding of the restaurant

You walk into the restaurant of a posh hotel and walk into another one, you might not see the difference. These days, all the restaurants look the same. So why should customers come to yours? It’s important to showcase your brand in your store.

When you enter a Mcdonald’s, even if you aren’t aware it’s a Mcdonald’s, you will be able to tell if it is one or not. This is because of the colour combinations, the way the restaurant is set-up primes the user for the next time they visit.

If you have multiple restaurants in different locations, it becomes more important to be able to have a streamlined decor. This is possible through renovation.

Cafe Renovation Singapore

A cafe is similar to a restaurant in one aspect. That is people come and eat, but it is fundamentally different from a business perspective. If you are looking at cafe renovation, then there are a few things you need to consider.

Why should you renovate your cafe in Singapore?

More seating areas

Cafes have a big problem and that is people coming into their shop, buying one cup of coffee and sitting there for hours on end without purchasing anything else. This is super risky for a business. It can dent their revenue and ultimately bring them down. The best way to avoid this situation is to improve the spacing in your cafe. If you have more seating, there is a bigger chance of improving your customer base. This is one of the biggest reasons for the renovation.

Space management is a big deal inside the kitchen as well, as you have newer equipment, space gets cramped. You can pick a renovation service to add in more equipment in your cafe and to place it strategically to save space.

Improving Revenue

You might ask, what does revenue have to do with the renovation? There are two aspects for it. If your seating and your chairs and other aspects of your cafe don’t scream, comfort, then you are missing out on a whole load of customers that are frequently called “regulars”. You need your regulars to come as they love the food and they love the ambience. As there are more and more freelance workers these days, a lot of people choose to work in coffee shops. They do their breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner all at the same place while working. This is one of the ways to improve your revenue.

The other way to improve your revenue is to improve your decor, ambience and charge more. This way, you get only high-quality customers to your cafe, that don’t mind paying a premium for the beautiful setting.

More with the Trend

There are no constant these days. Everything works on trends. From buying habits to eating habits, everything has a trend. If you want to stick to the trend, then your decor must reflect that. Having interesting colours, better lighting, flooring and wall art can considerably make your decor look more attractive and bring in visitors.

Better branding

There are numerous cafes in Singapore. Every street has one and you compete with so many in just a single location. Branding is not about colours, it’s about identity and standing out distinctly. People should be able to identify and recognize your cafe only through the look and feel of the store. If you want to brand better, then you must renovate your cafe.

Why Get Contractor?

Get Contractor has some of the best cafe renovation contractors in Singapore. They understand your requirement before embarking on a renovation project and also make sure to abide all the laws of the government and engineering.

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