Sim Lim Square shop owner and diner at nearby eatery brawl over blocked store entrance

A squabble between a diner and shop owner escalated into a brawl at Sim Lim Square last Wednesday (June 5).

The altercation occurred at around lunchtime on the second floor of the complex, reported Shin Min Daily News.

A video of the fight circulating online shows a man with black hair slamming another man with blond hair against the shutters of a shop named Sexy Corner and repeatedly pummeling him.

The former is the diner while the latter is believed to be the owner of the shop, which sells sex toys, according to the Chinese daily.

Both men end up tussling on the floor as a group of onlookers try in vain to break up the fight.

The diner subsequently wraps both legs around the other man's head, pinning him down. The onlookers eventually manage to separate the duo.

The police were also called to the scene, reported Shin Min.

Responding to AsiaOne’s queries, the police confirmed a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.

Dispute over queue space

When a Shin Min reporter visited the complex on Tuesday (June 11), an eyewitness who had acted as a peacemaker during the fight said the man with black hair was queuing outside the popular eatery 3 Meals a Day, which is known for their salted egg dishes.

He was supposedly blocking the entrance of the nearby sex toy shop, whose owner was preparing to open for the day. This sparked a confrontation between both men.

The eyewitness added that the shop owner was left bleeding after the brawl.

Speaking to Shin Min, Mandy Li, the eatery's co-owner, said she had just returned to her shop when she heard a commotion outside. When she turned around, the fight had already started.

It was the first time she has seen a diner and another shop owner clash over the queuing space since the eatery opened three years ago.

She added that she has good relationships with the nearby store owners, who would typically inform her nicely if disorderly queues were affecting their business.

At the eatery, there are separate designated queues for diners to place their orders and wait to be seated.

"At peak periods, I will be managing crowd control outside to prevent disruptions to other shop owners," Li explained.

She added that she was saddened by the incident, and has refunded the customer for his order and also checked on the shop owner.

When approached by Shin Min, the shop owner, who was observed to have a black eye, declined to be interviewed.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com