Diner says they were 'chased out' of Paya Lebar cafe due to dining time limit, despite 'many empty seats' left

A cafe in Paya Lebar has come under criticism after a TikTok user and her friend were allegedly asked to leave due to a dining time limit which was not mentioned to them beforehand.

TikTok user Bondnaked uploaded her video on Monday (Dec 16), which has since gathered over 44,000 views.

@bondnaked

Is this the norm now? The cafe is half empty tho 🥲

♬ original sound - bondnaked

In her video, she detailed her experience at the cafe, stating that she and a dining companion "just got chased out of this place".

She also stated that they were told to leave due to the cafe's dining limit of 90 minutes. The seating time limit is a common practice imposed among F&B outlets here, especially during peak hours.

However, Bondnaked's companion stated that they weren't informed of this beforehand.

"(The cafe) didn't tell us when we came in actually," she explained.

They also highlighted how the cafe was not crowded at the time, with "so many empty seats" still available, and that they weren't just "there for coffee and to work".

In a reply to commenters, she added that it was "after lunch hour and many tables weren't occupied", and they'd "ordered a full meal" for the both of them, which totalled about $90.

Though the name of the cafe was not explicitly mentioned in the TikTok clip, it was revealed by Bondnaked in the comments section to be Coexist Coffee Co, located at 11 Eunos Road 8.

The cafe has a four-star rating on Google reviews, with many commending the quality of the food and service received.

Netizens were divided on the situation, with many sharing the same sentiment that F&B establishments should inform diners beforehand regarding the time limit and that it is unfair otherwise.

However, multiple netizens also stated that the cafe should not enforce such strict time limits during non-peak hours when there is less urgency to clear tables.

On the other hand, there were several netizens who shared their own experiences of being allowed to spend hours at the same cafe without being told to leave.

There were also some netizens who stated that 90 minutes is sufficient time to have a meal and that diners also need to be considerate of the business' ability to turn profits.

'Some customers had already left after being notified'

In an e-mail response to AsiaOne's queries, Coexist Coffee Co stated that their 1.5-hour dine-in period is standard procedure that is "not usually enforced on weekdays unless there are upcoming reservations".

The spokesperson added that following an internal investigation, their staff member had offered Bondnaked and her companion the option to be relocated to a different table due to several reservations scheduled for later that day. 

"The two ladies in the video were seated at a table for four, while reservations were coming in for larger groups," said the spokesperson for the cafe.

They also clarified: "'Chasing customers away' is never our intention," reiterating that their primary approach would be to reallocate tables as needed.

Towards Bondnaked's claim that the cafe was empty at the time, the spokesperson stated that this was because some customers had already left after being notified.

"That said, the group in the video was allowed to remain longer than the initial notice," they added.

However, they acknowledged they "could have done better" to inform the group of the dine-in time limit upfront. They also signalled their intention to improve their "communication and training to ensure greater clarity for (their) guests" as well as to provide clear signs informing patrons of the time limit.

AsiaOne has reached out to Bondnaked for more information.

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dana.leong@asiaone.com