Singapore's F&B crunch pushes some brands overseas, but proving themselves at home still matters

When Sarnies first opened on Telok Ayer Street in 2011, Singapore’s cafe scene was just starting to bloom. More multinational companies and financial heavyweights were expanding or setting up their Asian headquarters in the financial hub, recruiting top talent from around the world to work out of Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD), and these suits needed fuel in the form of lattes, macchiatos and cappuccinos. Soon enough, brunch became a trendy affair and the hip, independent cafes in the CBD became hotspots even on weekends, especially as certain areas, such as Club Street, were pedestrianised. "It was a sea of…