Chickata Cafe alleges poor conditions at City Sprouts Bedok, cites safety & visibility issues
A TikTok video posted by Halal mookata eatery Chickata Cafe on Friday (2 Jan) has sparked online discussion after the café alleged poor site conditions, safety concerns, and low footfall at City Sprouts Bedok, where it operates as a tenant.
In the video, co-owner Jackeline Goh said they invested their life savings in the business after being shown illustrations of what was described as a future-ready community hub, featuring weddings, gyms, offices, sports classes, and food and beverage outlets.
Source: Chickata the Halal Mookata on TikTok
However, she claimed that the reality on the ground did not align with what had been presented prior to signing the lease.
Allegations of poor renovation & safety risks
In the video, Ms Goh pointed to what she described as unfinished and deteriorating renovation works, including uneven flooring, cracked cement, unpainted shelters, and ongoing construction at the main entrance months after opening.
She also raised safety concerns, alleging that exposed drain covers posed a tripping hazard and that stairways leading to City Sprouts @ Bedok were “almost pitch dark” due to non-functioning lights.
Source: Chickata the Halal Mookata on TikTok
Ms Goh further said a Bedok resident had told her she tripped and fell at one of the staircases.
She claimed that despite repeated feedback to City Sprouts, emails sent to its founders, reports lodged via the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) portal, and copying their Member of Parliament (MP), the issues had not been addressed.
Source: Chickata the Halal Mookata on TikTok
She added that the MP did not intervene, as they were not residents of the constituency.
Claims of low visibility & footfall
Ms Goh also alleged that signage around the site was lacking, particularly at the back gate leading to the café, making it difficult for nearby residents to even be aware of City Sprouts @ Bedok’s existence.
She claimed that although City Sprouts took over the site from SLA in early 2025, parts of the location remained incomplete, affecting footfall and business sustainability even as rent continued to be payable.
Source: Chickata the Halal Mookata on TikTok
“Many residents in Bedok tell us that they don’t feel this place is ready,” Ms Goh said in the video.
While acknowledging City Sprouts’ intention to be environmentally friendly by reusing existing structures, Ms Goh cited an example of a handicapped toilet that she described as being in a worse condition than before City Sprouts took over the site.
“They didn’t do anything about it even after we complained,” she claimed.
Source: Chickata the Halal Mookata on TikTok
Similar comments from tenants at sister company Vida City
Following the post, another TikTok user commented that their coffeeshop stall at Vida City in Pasir Ris, a sister company of City Sprouts, faced similar challenges.
The commenter alleged that the landlord restricted self-promotion, did not allow banners to be freely put up, and carried out minimal promotional efforts.
Source: TikTok
“No one knows there’s a coffeeshop there either. It’s always so quiet,” the commenter wrote, adding that footfall appeared to matter less to the landlord due to the tenant mix being mainly offices and tuition centres.
Separately, a post shared on 4 June 2025 in a Singapore primary school parents’ Facebook group alleged dissatisfaction with PlayFACTO VidaCity, citing concerns over fees, enrichment programmes, centre closures, and the quality of care provided.
The parent wrote that the “fees charged and the quality of care received is deeply concerning”, alleging that enrichment lessons were limited, additional costs were frequent, and refunds were not provided when services were unavailable.
City Sprouts responds to Chickata Cafe’s concerns
In response to media queries, City Sprouts said it was aware of Chickata Cafe’s post and provided a detailed response addressing the concerns raised.
City Sprouts founder Zac Toh said the site at 200 Bedok North Avenue 1 was formerly the Kampong Chai Chee Community Centre, with structures more than 45 years old, and had been awarded to City Sprouts under a tender by the People’s Association (PA) and Singapore Land Authority (SLA) to be adaptively reused as a community hub.
Source: Chickata the Halal Mookata on TikTok
According to Mr Toh, the redevelopment was guided by City Sprouts’ philosophy of adaptive reuse and environmental sustainability, in line with the vision of retaining the site’s familiarity for residents who held fond memories of the former community centre.
“So as to retain the rustic charm (and cherished memories) of the existing structures and spaces, and to avoid excessive alteration, we kept redevelopment to a minimum while ensuring safe access across the site and suitability for various change of use for F&B purposes,” he explained.
Mr Toh added that City Sprouts had invested close to S$1.8 million in renovation and refurbishment works.
He also noted that tenants were able to tour the site before committing to a lease, and that ongoing wear and tear was inevitable given the age of the structures.
Source: Chickata the Halal Mookata on TikTok
Rent relief & tenant engagement
According to Mr Toh, City Sprouts did not collect rent from Chickata Cafe from the earliest fitting-out period in July 2025 and granted an additional rent-free period until end-November 2025.
The tenant currently pays about 40% of market rent, he said.
Mr Toh also said he immediately arranged for an in-person chat with the founders of Chickata, Ms Goh and Ng Wee Seng, to do a walk through as well as address other concerns listed after the video was published.
Source: City Sprouts
He added that the site currently hosts more than 14 tenants, including sports facilities, gyms, dance studios, child development centres, co-working spaces, and community event venues, and sees a few hundred visitors, particularly on weekends.
“We take all feedback conscientiously and are constantly striving to rejuvenate and further improve our spaces,” Mr Toh said. “We will continue to work closely with the PA and SLA to address the concerns of our tenants and residents.”
City Sprouts added that it is looking ahead to upcoming community initiatives, including a month-long Ramadhan Bazaar in mid-February, co-organised with its tenants and featuring local businesses, home-based businesses, charities, and non-profits.
MS News has reached out to Chickata Cafe and East Coast Town Council for comment.
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Featured image adapted from Chickata the Halal Mookata on TikTok.
