In recent months, Singaporeans have been increasingly concerned about the rising cost of living, especially after the GST hike.
On Wednesday (18 Jan), a photo asking people to ‘boycott’ Toast Box made rounds on WhatsApp.
Source: Facebook
Placing an ‘old’ menu picture to compare with an ‘updated’ one, it claimed that Toast Box’s prices have drastically increased after the GST hike.
Toast Box has clarified that they updated their menu with additions to their set meals, hence the steep price increase.
However, they acknowledged that they have increased prices due to rising operational costs.
The viral WhatsApp photo compared two Toast Box menu prices. While it is not known when the images were taken, the OP stated that the top photo showed prices after the GST hike, while the bottom one was taken before the hike.
Source: Kakis’ Club on Facebook
There appeared to be a steep price increase across all menu items. For example, the Luncheon Meat & Egg Sandwich went from S$6.90 to S$9.20 — a S$2.30 increase.
The Laksa increased by S$2.50 – from S$7.50 to S$10 – while the Mee Rebus had a S$2.60 increase from S$7.10 to S$9.70.
But the most significant price increase was for the Homemade Nasi Lemak, which saw a S$3.10 jump from S$8.20 to S$11.30.
The updated prices appear the same as the ones shown on the Toast Box website.
Below the menus, the OP alleged that Toast Box was taking advantage of the 1% GST hike to push up their selling price.
‘BOYCOTT TOASTBOX’ was also written in red beside it.
The photo was also reshared on Facebook, with one post garnering over 1,200 shares.
In response to MS News‘ queries, Toast Box said that the ‘before’ menu dates back between Jan 2019 and Jun 2021.
Source: United Square
They explained that in the past, under the ‘before’ pricing, Asian Delight sets – which include the Nasi Lemak, Mee Rebus, and Laksa – were served without a slice of cake.
The Luncheon Meat & Egg sandwich set also did not include half-boiled eggs, which cost about S$2 on their own.
So although prices have increased, customers are also getting more food.
Toast Box said since 2020, selected outlets have been serving “enhanced” Asian Delight set meals that include a slice of tea cake. This was then gradually implemented across all outlets in 2020 and 2021.
Since 20 Dec 2022, Toast Box has also allowed customers to select any cake or side worth up to S$2.20.
Customers can also opt out of the set meals and be charged a la carte prices.
Owing to the rising cost of raw materials, manpower, and operating costs, Toast Box said they had to “make necessary adjustments” to not compromise on product quality and service standards.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook and Toast Box Singapore on Facebook.
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