Frequency of eating out

• According to Nielson, eating out in Singapore is no longer reserved for only special occasions and is becoming a way of life for consumers.
• Almost one in four respondents (24%) have stated that they eat out daily and more than half (55%) eat out weekly.
• Based on the same survey, dinner was the meal that was mostly eaten out of home (72%), followed by lunch (66%). Breakfast was less likely to be consumed out of home (15%).
• Slightly different findings have been reported by a study conducted by the NEA, where 85% of Singaporean residents eat out at least once a week and 10% eat out daily.
• According to Trip Savvy, 80-85% of Singaporeans eat hawker food regularly.

Methods of payment

• According to Straits Times, some hawker centers (food courts) in Singapore have stated that up to 40% of customers pay using e-payment systems, while for others the number is only 20%. Many diners say that they still prefer to pay in cash, despite the many cashless options available.
• Another article from Straits Times has reported that according to a survey conducted by Visa, 87% of Singaporeans prefer electronic payments over cash, up by 11% compared to the previous year. 40% of the total transactions in the country are made through cash and cheques.
• The article further notes that certain segments in Singapore, such as hawker centers, food courts, and wet markets are heavily cash-based.

Bill settlement

• There was limited information available relating to who pays the bill when eating out in Singapore and no survey findings were found on this specific topic.
• A blogpost states that most restaurants in Singapore don't split bills individually. And according to another article, fighting to pay the bill at mealtimes is a stereotypical Asian habit. Based on the comments left on this article, splitting the bill in Singapore is not the norm.
• According to Grand Tourism Travels, the Asian etiquette is for the host to pay for meals. It is not common to split the bill.