Wine bars in Singapore shutter as costs rise
Natural wine bars Rebel Rebel and Wine RVLT are among more than 3,000 venues in Singapore which have closed their doors. Nimmi Malhotra takes a look at the state of the industry. The post Wine bars in Singapore shutter as costs rise appeared first on The Drinks Business.
Natural wine bars Rebel Rebel and Wine RVLT are among more than 3,000 venues in Singapore which have closed their doors. Nimmi Malhotra takes a look at the state of the industry.
More than 3,000 food and beverage (F&B) businesses in Singapore closed down in 2024 due to rising costs, media platform Channel News Asia (CNA) revealed earlier this week.
Among them were two pioneering natural wine bars: Wine RVLT and Rebel Rebel.
Rebel Rebel, a natural wine bar on Bukit Pasoh Road, announced its closure in December in an Instagram post. Over the last four years, the bar — owned and operated by wine distributor Artisan Cellars — built its credentials for terroir-driven wines. It introduced a string of rebellious winemakers to the market including relatively unknown Japanese wine producers like Fujimaru.
Neomi Novelonio of Artisan Cellar attributed the closure to a lack of marketing in a crowded F&B market. “The biggest downfall for Rebel is the lack of marketing. We get a lot of customers coming in saying they never heard of us at all and wish they knew us sooner.”
Wine RVLT announced its gradual closure in December as well. The eight-year-old venue started as a natural wine bar and, over time, extended its list to include sustainable, minimal intervention, and biodynamic wines. The bar’s Instagram post from 6 Dec 2024 read: “It’s no longer sustainable, and we’ve decided to call it quits. 7-8 years for a single concept is a pretty good run, in our opinion.”
Alvin Gho, Wine RVLT’s co-founder and Singapore’s Star List Ambassador, attributed the closure to rising rents and operational costs. He estimated the cost of running his bar are up by 30% while revenues are down significantly.
The bar is committed to keeping the doors open till the lease runs out in June 2025, but Gho is candid and realistic about its prospects. “We are losing money every month. I am not sure we will make it till then," he said.
Gho also remarked on changing drinking habits. “We used to have people coming in after dinner and continue drinking. But we noticed our guests started to hit home early, and the restaurant and bar were empty by 11pm,” he said.
More than 3,000 food and beverage (F&B) businesses in Singapore closed down in 2024 due to rising costs, media platform Channel News Asia (CNA) revealed earlier this week.
Among them were two pioneering natural wine bars: Wine RVLT and Rebel Rebel.
Rebel Rebel, a natural wine bar on Bukit Pasoh Road, announced its closure in December in an Instagram post. Over the last four years, the bar — owned and operated by wine distributor Artisan Cellars — built its credentials for terroir-driven wines. It introduced a string of rebellious winemakers to the market including relatively unknown Japanese wine producers like Fujimaru.
Neomi Novelonio of Artisan Cellar attributed the closure to a lack of marketing in a crowded F&B market. “The biggest downfall for Rebel is the lack of marketing. We get a lot of customers coming in saying they never heard of us at all and wish they knew us sooner.”
Wine RVLT announced its gradual closure in December as well. The eight-year-old venue started as a natural wine bar and, over time, extended its list to include sustainable, minimal intervention, and biodynamic wines. The bar’s Instagram post from 6 Dec 2024 read: “It’s no longer sustainable, and we’ve decided to call it quits. 7-8 years for a single concept is a pretty good run, in our opinion.”
Alvin Gho, Wine RVLT’s co-founder and Singapore’s Star List Ambassador, attributed the closure to rising rents and operational costs. He estimated the cost of running his bar are up by 30% while revenues are down significantly.
The bar is committed to keeping the doors open till the lease runs out in June 2025, but Gho is candid and realistic about its prospects. “We are losing money every month. I am not sure we will make it till then," he said.
Gho also remarked on changing drinking habits. “We used to have people coming in after dinner and continue drinking. But we noticed our guests started to hit home early, and the restaurant and bar were empty by 11pm,” he said.
