Keep Things Fresh: F&B’s Secret Ingredient To Survival

Over 3000 Singapore food and beverage (F&B) outlets went out of business in 2024, according to a report by Channel NewsAsia. Caught within the perfect storm of sky-high rental, growing manpower costs, and rising cost of goods, it’s clear to see why this figure is the highest it’s ever been since 2005.

In an industry where competition is as saturated as it is cutthroat, how do some businesses prosper with ever-growing lines and reservation lists while others sit quiet and empty? What’s the secret sauce behind the longevity of these restaurants? Do they live and die purely by the quality of food and hospitality, or is there something deeper that resonates on a psychological level that’s overlooked?

As a brand management agency, we believe the success of an F&B brand goes beyond just the food; it’s the experience, vibe, and ambience, with a dash of picture-worthiness for social media. In other words, the key difference between merely surviving and profitably thriving is ensuring your F&B brand stays updated and relevant for a generation that expects nothing but the best and is willing to pay top dollar for it.

New Look, Same Digs, Familiar Flavours

A notable example of an F&B brand fighting to stay updated and relevant is the multi-concept restaurant Potato Head. First established in 2010 on the shores of Bali, Potato Head quickly became a crowd-favourite dining spot with international tourists and locals alike.

Leveraging its reputation and fame, Potato Head launched its first Singapore outlet in 2014 to rousing success. Fast forward a decade, and the F&B chain recently announced a rebranding from Potato Head to 1939. Still located at 36 Keong Saik Road, 1939 derives its name from the year of the iconic heritage building it operates out of.

Challenged by the ever-changing tastes and evolving palates of locals that have grown over the years, Potato Head’s rebranding exercise was established around incorporating local themes and flavours. Despite no outward change in decor or infrastructure, 1939 has re-established its identity and is now founded on a need to offer something noticeably different that’s in line with what diners want – equal parts nostalgia and novelty.

Credits: 1939 Singapore

The entire vibe of the restaurant draws from familiar flavours in local cuisine, paired with drinks that are designed to push the envelope and deliver a Dionysiac experience. Ultimately, this rebranding exercise presents an opportunity for customers, new and old, to make a reservation, walk through the doors, and reacquaint themselves with 1939—precisely what the F&B operator intended.

It’s All About The Experience

In its basest form, a good meal is an experience – a symphony of sights, sounds, scents, textures, and flavours that all come together to deliver a dopamine-high unlike any other. The universal joy of dining is precisely why it plays an essential role in all our social activities and why restaurants, cafes, and even fast-food chains have become the de facto “third place” for many.

This logic also explains why the most popular and successful restaurants are built around delivering an unforgettable experience, one that begins way before the diner sets root a restaurant. From seeking out reviews online to researching the brand on social media, the stage is set for the dining experience ages before any food even reaches the table.

Credits: ‍

Mama Diam, a restaurant and cocktail bar that serves up deliciously native-themed food and drinks, is an example of a brand that truly understands this. From a 2023 Lunar New Year collab campaign to its other venues, Synthesis and Lou Shang by Mama Diam, the experience of drinking and dining at any of the brand’s restaurants is what sets it apart from the rest and what has earned it much success since its inception.

These unique F&B experiences, inspired by local heritage and sprinkled with a healthy mix of nostalgia, stand united through a common theme that unifies the brand’s identity. It successfully paves the way for outlet after outlet of new concepts, with each promising an intriguing proposition that is both familiar and exciting. In a nutshell, a winning formula for first-timers or familiar faces to experience.

A Running Start For Newer Brands

WaaCow!, a young and apologetically bold wagyu beef bowl brand based in Singapore, was but a nascent chain of restaurants when it first ran into its own set of struggles. Reaching out to Superminted, WaaCow!’s founders shared their challenges with brand incongruencies and a desire to revamp their pricing strategy. Previously operating on a university campus, the brand had moved into the central business district and met resistance as it adjusted its prices for similar menu items – going from a student-targeted value proposition to one that served to meet the tastes of the trendy office crowd.

Through a detailed audit of the brand, we found that there was a gap between WaaCow!’’s brand and positioning versus the founder’s objectives. The brand, which had built a reputation as a quick-service restaurant, had to reposition itself to align with the founder’s goals of establishing WaaCow!  as a mid-range to premium flame-torched wagyu beef donburi joint.

The lack of brand clarity not only hampered their ability to execute a comprehensive repricing strategy; it also subsequently affected all of WaaCow!’s marketing efforts – from menu offerings to in-store promotions, communications, and even social media content.

The remedy? Superminted rebuilt the brand experience from the bottom up, beginning with the brand’s core foundations. Understanding the brand’s purpose and how it envisioned the customer experience, we were able to define the brand’s identity as it would be expressed across touchpoints. This overhaul of the brand’s persona, tying it to brand colours within cohesive interior designs, finishings, digital displays and menus, gave WaaCow! the ability to achieve a more premium feel through refreshed touchpoints – suitably repositioning the brand for its new target audience.

Let Us Cook

You know what they say—we eat with our eyes first. More than just the food, it’s first impressions that serve up the biggest impact. And that’s where we excel.

Make the right impression from the get-go, whether that’s via a memorable logo, gorgeous online menus, or even hilariously relatable social media content. Hit us up today, and we’ll get right to work; we promise nothing less than a sumptuous feast for the senses.

Daryl is a Copy Editor at Superminted, fueled by a love for bringing emotionally engaging stories to life. With  carefully selected words and a smart turn of phrase, he is devoted to helping brands shape their unique voice.