Who's right?

[SGCM928]

Not the first and will not be the last. I have personally encountered another eatery insisting that I should paid for the wet wipe provided, although I returned them unused to the cashier upon making payment for my meal. The reasons given was that they do not impose 10% service charge so they will have to cover their cost through charging for the wipe. As charges was not mentioned anywhere in the eatery and I was also not informed beforehand, I refused to pay for them. I place the exact amount in cash on the counter and walked away (heh, I full cash hor).

 

Geylang restaurant Eat First hit by one-star reviews after enforcing $2 outside-drinks charge (https://www.straitstimes.com/life/food/geylang-restaurant-eat-first-hit-by-one-star-reviews-after-enforcing-2-outside-drinks-charge?ref=singapore)

SINGAPORE – A $2 charge at Eat First for drinks not bought at the premises has sparked online backlash against the Geylang restaurant after Singapore media platform Mothership published an article on April 12 about the incident.

The 70-seat Cantonese restaurant saw its Google rating plunge from 4.2 to 2.5 within 24 hours after the article was published. 

Its owner, Mr Steve Chia, 58, says his restaurant is being unfairly targeted by online vigilantes over what he describes as a matter of principle rather than money. He questioned the customer’s motives for bringing up the matter two months after dining at his restaurant on Feb 7.

His wife, Madam Julia Hsieh, 53, says she retrieved closed-circuit television footage of the incident when approached by Mothership. 

The customer had arrived with his family at 8.15pm and his helper had placed a large 1.5-litre bottle of mineral water on the table. The restaurant’s two servers saw the two children drinking from the bottle and repeatedly reminded the group that drinks not bought at the premises were not allowed.

The group comprised the customer, his wife, their two sons and a helper. 

The helper had opened the bottle and poured the water into one of the restaurant’s bowls for the children, despite repeated reminders that doing so would incur a charge equivalent to the restaurant’s tea charge of $1 a person.

The footage showed the customer’s wife, in a purple top, seated between the two boys. After one boy drank from the bowl, she took the bowl and handed it to the other boy. 

The restaurant sells Dasani bottled water at $2 for a 600ml bottle, while tea costs $1 a person and is refillable. The prices are stated on the restaurant’s menu.

Madam Hsieh added that employees are trained to remind diners politely that food and drinks not purchased at the restaurant are not allowed. There is a sign displayed on the restaurant’s glass door to inform customers of this policy before they enter.

Mr Chia says he does not object when customers bring their own water bottles from home, but draws the line at diners buying bottled drinks elsewhere and consuming them on his premises.

He adds: “We are running a small business. We are selling bottled water too. Just as we respect and appreciate our customers, we would also like customers to understand that we have our own policy with regard to outside food and drinks.”

In the last two years, he says the eatery has seen customers bring in fast food, cooked rice and packed boxes of economy rice from outside, and use its plates and bowls to eat the food. 

Calling the online backlash his first experience of being cyberbullied, Mr Chia maintains Eat First is a small business with labour and other overheads to pay.

He adds that his standalone restaurant is not a chain and does not impose service charge nor GST. “I want to keep prices affordable for our customers, especially the regulars. It is disheartening when incidents like that occur.”

As up to 30 per cent of its customers are foreign tourists, Mr Chia worries the low Google rating from these “fake reviews” will turn away those who rely on Google reviews when visiting Singapore. 

Several of the latest one-star reviews carried a mocking and derisive tone. A review by Vincent Moh says: “I was charged $2 for looking at my own gym bottle, avoid this selfish place.”

Another by DY reads: “Charged $2 for drinking plain water from outside. I’m surprised they haven’t start charging for breathing in their restaurant yet.”

To the online vigilantes who have targeted his business, Mr Chia says: “With a small action like this, you may feel you are standing up for justice. But you are killing someone’s livelihood without finding out the facts first.” 

He has no plans to change the restaurant’s policy on disallowing food and drinks not bought at the premises, which has been in place since he first set up shop in Siglap in 2016.

In 2023, he continued with this policy after moving to his current address, previously occupied by Cantonese eatery Sik Wai Sin, which was started by his late father in 1982. 

Madam Hsieh adds: “It is not an unreasonable policy and common at other establishments.”

[Lala81]

If u want to eat on the restaurant's premises, then u should follow some basic rules right.

If u use own water bottle, people can't say much. But if u bring in bottled water. then It's not right.

I don't believe that any parent will let the kids use normal mineral water bottle as a pure water bottle in this day and age. Even the poor kids have their own water bottle.

 

[Volvobrick]

On 4/14/2026 at 10:51 AM, Lala81 said:

If u want to eat on the restaurant's premises, then u should follow some basic rules right.

If u use own water bottle, people can't say much. But if u bring in bottled water. then It's not right.

I don't believe that any parent will let the kids use normal mineral water bottle as a pure water bottle in this day and age. Even the poor kids have their own water bottle.

 

Yeah lor. If don't like the rules, then don't go in. No one forcing them to eat there. I can understand the F and B outlets must make money to cover costs and drinks have the highest margins.

 

[Beregond]

The owner is not wrong, its his private business, he can make whatever rules he want, consumers can also choose to eat there and follow rules or dun eat there at all.

At the same time, nothing wrong with poor review also, If u own a business and want to rely on social media to gain customer, then u need to take both the good and bad side.

If his business rely alot on social media for customer, then its the owner stupidity to bet good reviews for 2sgd income. 

[Lala81]

On 4/14/2026 at 11:26 AM, Beregond said:

The owner is not wrong, its his private business, he can make whatever rules he want, consumers can also choose to eat there and follow rules or dun eat there at all.

At the same time, nothing wrong with poor review also, If u own a business and want to rely on social media to gain customer, then u need to take both the good and bad side.

If his business rely alot on social media for customer, then its the owner stupidity to bet good reviews for 2sgd income. 

The reviews are made by people who are not customers there, then it's not right.

Out of nowhere u bo dai bo ji get 1 star reviews, u feel ok meh.

Only the original customer who buay song, give 1 star. That's fine.

 

My clinic also kana before, suspect it's competitor, also what to do, obviously it's fake review.
But damn off lah.

 

 

Edited April 14 by Lala81

[Jman888]

funny when customer refuse to pay for this and that, then turn around saying nobody support local businesses when one by one close down 

water dun want to pay, wet tissue dun want to pay, then dun go eat lah.

[Davidklt]

To me, thats just poor customer service.

I tend not to patronise F&B establishments with such miserly attitude or policy.

If you go to those PRC restaurants or small eateries here, you can see they go out of their way to make your dining experience a happy one. Some even give you free ice cream or desserts, no questions asked. They have much better business foresight. Give and take a little, if the customers are happy dining at their place, they would come back again.

In this case, the owners caused bad goodwill over a couple of dollars and then also losing a returning customer forever. Just treat this as marketing dollars la. If a customer return, they make the $2 back many times over. Word of mouth referral or returning customers are much more effective than any forms of marketing.

Also, if you look at Korean F&B establishments here, like in Korea, they give free flow of plain water and small dishes.  

Edited April 14 by Davidklt

[Gnahp]

I like F&B joints with house rules, the more the better 😁

if I don't agree with their rules, I just go to another place or won't go there again

rules separating patrons, so that everyone can enjoy their meal

i.e. no smoking, no pets, no children under 12, no outside food/drinks, no studying, strict 1 hour dining time etc

I don't go the pet friendly restaurant to kpkb and give negative review because there are animals inside mah

 

when overseas, there was a restaurant with majestic view, the guy at the door showed us a house rules placard, each person must order a full set meal + 1.5 hour dining time

wife kpkb

I told her, this is the reason we are offered a table without reservation/waiting, no queue at all

without the rules, the entire restaurant will be choped by people who order 2 drinks out of 10 people group

[Jman888]

On 4/14/2026 at 11:32 AM, Lala81 said:

The reviews are made by people who are not customers there, then it's not right.

Out of nowhere u bo dai bo ji get 1 star reviews, u feel ok meh.

Only the original customer who buay song, give 1 star. That's fine.

 

My clinic also kana before, suspect it's competitor, also what to do, obviously it's fake review.
But damn off lah.

 

 

i think for this case either the customer themselves mobilised a group of people or some internet worrier gang team up to give 1 star fake reviews hence drop from average of 4.2 to 2.5, if only 1 customer gave 1 star won't affect the rating so much.

[Ahwhye]

On 4/14/2026 at 12:24 PM, Gnahp said:

when overseas, there was a restaurant with majestic view, the guy at the door showed us a house rules placard, each person must order a full set meal + 1.5 hour dining time

wife kpkb

I told her, this is the reason we are offered a table without reservation/waiting, no queue at all

without the rules, the entire restaurant will be choped by people who order 2 drinks out of 10 people group

I am pretty sure this restaurant had gone thru many of these 2 drinks out of 10 persons, then came out with the minimum spending and time rule. 

[Gnahp]

On 4/14/2026 at 12:56 PM, Ahwhye said:

I am pretty sure this restaurant had gone thru many of these 2 drinks out of 10 persons, then came out with the minimum spending and time rule. 

yes

businesses need to make money, otherwise they will toh and ended up lose lose

there is a cafe near to my place, boss got many patterns, no studying, no working with laptop in his cafe

but I like

I talked to him about this with encouragement and show my support by action

few years passed, he is till surviving and I get to enjoy a student/insurance agent/investment specialist free cafe near to my house too

win win

@Lala81 there is a family clinic very near to my place, I know I can get cheaper hypertension + cholesterol medicines elsewhere, and he is not very good at drawing my blood, not easy for a trypanophobia (needle phobia) person like me. I support the clinic as I wanted them to stay in business, for the convenience of my family, much like a symbiotic partnership

[Beregond]

On 4/14/2026 at 12:56 PM, Jman888 said:

i think for this case either the customer themselves mobilised a group of people or some internet worrier gang team up to give 1 star fake reviews hence drop from average of 4.2 to 2.5, if only 1 customer gave 1 star won't affect the rating so much.

Its those influencer or social media worker, ( i dun know how to name them)

1 guy see another give bad review, every 1 join in for the  'likes' 

Which is why since ages ago, i f care about online review for my business. 

[Mkl22]

i have boycotted a coffee shop (selling roast duck opposite bugis plus) when i was asked not to place my water bottle on the table i was eating my duck rice. I refuse to ever go back again. i didnt even drink, as i knew about the policy and would drink after i stepped out. but to be asked to keep bottle out of sight is too much. 

So for this place, had they charged if the kids bring their own bottle, i wont go. no loss to me as i'm not the sort to die die must eat there. 

But i will give my feedback as i'm entitled  to my opinion and give fair warning to other about the practice.

Edited April 14 by Mkl22

[Mkl22]

On 4/14/2026 at 11:32 AM, Lala81 said:

The reviews are made by people who are not customers there, then it's not right.

Out of nowhere u bo dai bo ji get 1 star reviews, u feel ok meh.

Only the original customer who buay song, give 1 star. That's fine.

 

My clinic also kana before, suspect it's competitor, also what to do, obviously it's fake review.
But damn off lah.

 

 

open shop for business its like that. if cannot tahan then close lor. 

its the new age of social media. whatever goes. If cannot tahan, some might sue... 😁

[Gnahp]

On 4/14/2026 at 1:40 PM, Mkl22 said:

i have boycotted a coffee shop (selling roast duck opposite bugis plus) when i was asked not to place my water bottle on the table i was eating my duck rice. I refuse to ever go back again. i didnt even drink, as i knew about the policy and would drink after i stepped out. but to be asked to keep bottle out of sight is too much. 

So for this place, had they charged if the kids bring their own bottle, i wont go. no loss to me as i'm not the sort to die die must eat there. 

But i will give my feedback as i'm entitled  to my opinion and give fair warning to other about the practice.

had similar experience in a restaurant

service staff uncle told me his boss set a rule that everyone must order drinks (free flow)

die die wanted me to order a drink

I told him nicely there is really nothing in their drink list that I want

he high EQ and IQ

he pour a glass of water in a mug and place it in front of me

to make it look like I ordered a drink 👍

[Jman888]

On 4/14/2026 at 1:41 PM, Mkl22 said:

open shop for business its like that. if cannot tahan then close lor. 

its the new age of social media. whatever goes. If cannot tahan, some might sue... 😁

but in this case is cyberbullying.

[inlinesix]

On 4/14/2026 at 2:09 PM, Jman888 said:

but in this case is cyberbullying.

If read all the recent review, it is very clear that it is cyberbullying

[Mkl22]

On 4/14/2026 at 2:09 PM, Jman888 said:

but in this case is cyberbullying.

then sue lor. not the 1st and wont be the last. no ones gonna help or care. always 2 sides to every situation. as much as one can say its wrong. truly no recourse unless one is willing to sue and fight back. but to what end? in the end it is what it is.

so for the restaurant maybe just factor in such cost into the price of the dishes. others have managed.. why cant you. but i'm also not the one who tells them how to run their business. in the end they manage how they see fit and take whatever comes. 

IB rule now. LLST. 

Edited April 14 by Mkl22