Food Republic, the Singaporean food court chain owned by BreadTalk Group, is set to close its last remaining outlet in Beijing on June 15, ending more than two decades in the Chinese capital, according to a notice outside the location in late May.
Its closure comes amid a wave of store shutdowns among foreign and Hong Kong brands across mainland China. Many have struggled to adapt to the local market, hampered by outdated business models and fast-evolving consumer preferences.
French department store Galeries Lafayette shut its Beijing outlet on May 27, leaving it with just two stores, in Shanghai and Shenzhen. Other brands that have closed stores or left the market in recent months include Hong Kong fashion retailer Lane Crawford, German lingerie maker Triumph, Swedish furniture store Ikea, US fashion brand Guess and Japanese department stores Aeon and Ito-Yokado.
“[Food Republic’s] retreat highlights mounting challenges facing China’s food-court industry, which has come under pressure from changing consumer habits, the rapid growth of food-delivery platforms and shifting mall economics,” said Fu Yifu, a special research fellow at Su Merchants Bank in Nanjing, in the eastern Jiangsu province.
Located in The Malls at Oriental Plaza, one of Beijing’s best-known shopping complexes, the outlet was the operator’s first store in the city when it opened more than 25 years ago. The company did not give a reason for the closure. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Food Republic operated more than 40 outlets across mainland China at its peak in 2016, with locations in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing. Following the Beijing closure, only four will remain, all in Shanghai.
Food courts rose to prominence in China during the 1990s by offering consumers affordable, hygienic and diverse dining options. Operators typically leased large spaces in shopping malls and sublet stalls to small food vendors. Analysts said their competitive edge gradually faded as consumer priorities evolved.
“Consumers are no longer simply looking for a place to eat,” Fu said. “They care more about product quality, dining experiences and social interaction, while still expecting strong value for money.”
The rise of food-delivery services further intensified competition, as consumers can now access hundreds of restaurants through smartphone apps, often at discounted prices.
China’s online food-delivery market reached 2.29 trillion yuan (US$338 billion) in 2025, up 24.5 per cent from a year earlier, while the number of users rose to 630 million, according to the China e-commerce Research Center.
Meanwhile, shopping-centre operators have also faced pressure from the continued growth of e-commerce and a prolonged downturn in China’s property sector, factors that industry analysts said had weighed on foot traffic and leasing demand.
“Shopping centre operators are increasingly prioritising experiential consumption for shoppers, especially for higher-end malls,” said Sandy Lim, director at S&P Global Ratings. “Many are taking a more hands-on approach to run their in-mall dining zones, instead of renting out large areas to third-party food court brands.”
Mall owners now preferred to curate their own tenant mix and favoured dining brands that enhanced the overall customer experience, Lim said.
The decline of foreign food-court operators also reflects the growing strength of domestic brands. According to a Bain & Co report published in 2025, local brands accounted for 76 per cent of China’s consumer-goods market in 2024, up from 66 per cent in 2012.
Additional reporting by Zhu Wenqian
