Grab Full House Mission aims to help small F&B businesses bring in more customers
Every F&B business, big or small, dreams of a full house. But with rising operating costs, stiff competition, and diners now spoilt for choice, filling seats and order books isn’t always as simple as serving good food.
For smaller establishments, the challenge can be even tougher. Many operate with lean teams and limited marketing resources, making it harder to stand out online and turn casual browsers into paying customers.
To help these businesses get closer to that dream, Grab Singapore launched Grab Full House Mission on Tuesday (9 June), a new initiative aimed at helping small F&B merchants grow both online and offline.
Image courtesy of Grab Singapore
Low Yen Ling says F&B sector is part of Singapore’s identity
Speaking at the launch, Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling noted that Singapore’s F&B sector plays a significant role not just in the economy, but also in everyday life.
Reflecting on the Covid-19 years, she recalled how many people rushed out for dine-in experiences once restrictions were lifted.
“That’s something that’s very, very special in Singapore,” she said, pointing to how people bond over food at hawker centres, cafes, and restaurants with family, colleagues, and friends.
Ms Low also acknowledged that the operating environment has become more challenging, with intense competition and evolving consumer behaviour. This, she said, is where partnerships between the public and private sectors can make a difference.
Image courtesy of Grab Singapore
Beyond grants, she said support for businesses should include helping them maximise partnerships within the F&B ecosystem, raise productivity, and fill their tables and order books.
Dine-out deals and delivery promos to help small eateries get discovered
A big part of Grab Full House Mission is helping smaller F&B businesses with visibility and discovery, especially toward diners who have already decided to grab a meal.
According to Grab’s consumer insights, 84% of surveyed users said they had used the Grab app to discover new restaurants or stores, while 61% said they often browse without a specific merchant in mind.
Source: Grab, for illustration purposes only
While this presents an opportunity for eateries to reach customers at the point of discovery, standing out remains a challenge.
Under the initiative, diners can look forward to neighbourhood-specific campaigns on Grab Dine Out, developed in partnership with Enterprise Singapore.
At participating independent F&B outlets, customers can enjoy offers of up to 15% off their total bill.
The first precinct campaign is already taking place in Tanjong Pagar until 25 July, with more planned later this year in Holland Village and Jalan Besar.
Source: Wikipedia, for illustration purposes only
There will also be nationwide delivery deals on GrabFood, designed to help smaller and independent merchants capture demand beyond their immediate neighbourhoods.
These Grab-funded promotions will allow consumers to enjoy up to 15% off menu-wide via the Food tile on the Grab app.
Support for merchants includes workshops and on-the-ground help
Beyond deals for diners, Grab Full House Mission also includes support to help F&B merchants strengthen their operations and digital capabilities.
In partnership with EnterpriseSG and SkillsFuture Singapore, GrabAcademy will run four workshops or masterclasses a year over the next three years, covering areas such as productivity, menu and promotional strategies, talent management, and digital and AI tools.
Grab and EnterpriseSG will also release free twice-yearly reports with practical insights on consumer trends, AI, digital marketing, and more.
To make support easier to access, Grab will bring monthly on-the-ground sessions to neighbourhoods across Singapore, offering guidance on in-app visibility, digital support, troubleshooting, and optimisation advice.
As Ms Low noted, many F&B operators are already too busy running their businesses to travel for training, so the aim is to bring support closer to where they work.
The platform will also introduce a modular onboarding initiative to help F&B operators new to Grab get started online, with Grab fully sponsoring a S$388 onboarding package for up to 70 merchants until Dec 2026.
This includes access to Grab tools, concierge support, funding support and promotional discounts, and business reviews to help improve performance.
Merchant says discovery and retention are key challenges
For merchants like Jeremy Lim, managing director of F&B collective 21Moonstone Group, discovery remains one of the biggest challenges in today’s F&B landscape.
Mr Lim runs several establishments, including Moonstone on Amoy Street, Almost Famous at CHIJMES, Middle Child Bar on Middle Road, and Bad Habits on Mohamed Sultan Road.
Source: Moonstone
He told MS News that F&B is no longer just about food and beverage. Operators now have to create a more holistic experience, from events to service standards, to keep customers coming back.
“People have a lot of choices in this day and age,” he said, adding that new brands are constantly emerging.
For him, retention is a key goal, followed by discovery.
To reach more customers, Mr Lim said his group joined Grab’s Dine Out deals programme as a first step into digital marketing.
After going live only the week before, he said they had already seen “some new audiences”.
Source: Middle Child Bar
He also found the data shared during the workshop useful, saying such insights could help merchants develop pop-up menus, event menus, or even future concepts.
For him, the support reflects the importance of working together and staying open to new solutions, whether that means platforms like Grab, AI tools, or inventory systems.
“At the end of the day, it’s about working together and staying open to new solutions,” he said. “It’s important to adapt and go with the times.”
Support is meant to be practical and ongoing
Grab Singapore Managing Director Alejandro Osorio said F&B businesses are a vital part of Singapore’s culture and community identity, but many operate with limited resources.
Through Grab Full House Mission, he said the company hopes to use its platform reach, technology, and partnerships to help small merchants attract and retain customers, strengthen operations, and grow sustainably.
Ms Low also encouraged F&B operators to make full use of the available resources, promotions, and training support, adding that the programme is not a “finished product” and will continue to take in merchant feedback.
“We are doing this because our F&B sector in Singapore is not just any industry. It’s really part of who we are as Singaporeans,” she said. “When the small kitchens in the neighbourhood are kept busy, the neighbourhood becomes even more vibrant.”
Merchants interested in joining Grab Full House Mission can find out more and register their interest here.
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Featured image by MS News.
