A seafood restaurant in Gillman Barracks has made the unusual step of asking customers for help.
This is because they have been experiencing a “turbulent period”, it said.
Mr Ken Loon, owner of seafood restaurant Naked Finn, made the plea in a Facebook post titled “We Need You” on 24 Sept.
He said “internal and external challenges” had taken a “heavy mental toll” on the restaurant during a turbulent period since early 2023.
While the team has addressed most of the issues within their control, he added:
Unfortunately, economic climate and other external factors are very much beyond our influence.
Through it all, the restaurant has not compromised on quality and consistency and stayed true to its commitment to cooking top-quality ingredients simply and priced reasonably, he noted.
Thus, Mr Loon asked customers for their help in spreading the word to friends, colleagues and more if they love the restaurant’s food.
He also appealed for patronage during special events and meals, saying:
Every reservation and event booking will definitely get us closer to recovery.
Even if it’s just a positive review, offline or online, it will be “the best marketing we can ever hope for”, he added.
On the flip side, customers with complaints should “be kind” and provide feedback directly so they have a chance to address the shortfall immediately, he said, as they may have tripped up inevitably “but never intentionally”.
Alluding to online brickbats, he added:
Every negative post, story and public review will only make it worse for us.
Mr Loon later told 8days.sg in an interview that there wasn’t a single major reason why he wrote the post.
However, “a lot of things” have made it hard for the restaurant recently, for example, unpredictable business.
He explained that some days business could be very good, but other days it might be so bad that they have “zero customers for lunch”.
This could be due to factors like an unstable economic climate, their customers travelling frequently and the strong Singapore dollar meaning they can get good seafood overseas.
While his restaurant has been around for close to 12 years and has been profitable, he doesn’t want to get to the stage when financial problems begin and “it’s too late” to save themselves with promotions.
Thus, he felt he should post something to get some attention and “let people know that we are still around”, saying he will do whatever he can to help the business.
Here’s some details to note if you’re visiting the restaurant:
Naked Finn
Address: 39 Malan Road, Gillman Barracks, Singapore 109442
Opening hours: 12pm to 3pm & 6pm to 10.30pm (Tues to Sat)
Telephone: 6694 0807
Nearest MRT: Labrador Park
Also read: Michelin-starred restaurant Chef Kang’s to close in October 2024 as owner retires without successor
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Featured image adapted from Naked Finn on Facebook and Facebook.
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