G32 - GROUP 9 DNM TEST

Group Number: 9
Member 1: Tan Ding Yun Drago (01421220)
Member 2: Ryan Chiu Ka Jun (01394962)
Member 3: Eira Shah (01437669)

To: neo@gmail.com
From: ryan.chiu@bibikskitchen.com
Date: 9 November 2022
Subject: Embarking on a New Journey with Bibik’s Home
Attachments: Delivery menu and instructions

Dear Madam Neo,

Your love for the Peranakan cuisine and Bibik’s Home has been evident since the
very first time you came in and had your favourite nonya laksa “extra spicy” at your
now claimed spot facing the riverside. Your childhood picture dining with your family
still hangs on the wall above our cash register! It has been Bibik Home’s utmost
pleasure and gratitude in serving you these past twenty years and your loyalty with
us has been uncompromising.

As you are aware, times have been getting tougher. When Covid hit, the restaurant
business industry as a whole struggled to make ends meet, and we were no
exception. Some restaurants saw a 80% 1 drop in profit, and for many of us, it was
the start of troubled times. We were elated when the first booking we got after
restrictions lifted was yours; it was a sign to us that things were getting better.
However, the restaurant was faced with 2 new hurdles we were not expecting. The
first was an increase in rent. It is an evident trend 2 that rent prices were beginning to
soar after restrictions were lifted, where in some cases, rent rose to be higher than

1 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/amid-fears-80-revenue-loss-due-covid-19-outbreak-
restaurants-hope-rent-rebates-776991
2 https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/some-retailers-cut-losses-or-shut-stores-rental-rates-
rebound-even-higher-pre-covid-1891786
pre-pandemic prices by 10% to 30%. The second was difficulty with staffing. The
restaurant industry in Singapore is facing this problem as well, where outlets are
understaffed and face obstacles in retaining and hiring even after raising wages by
30%3. Bibik’s Home is also continually struggling to maintain strong staffing to serve
our customers. With the pandemic, issues with rent and staffing combined, it is very
difficult to sustain our business.

Thus, after many years of serving our dedicated customers, such as yourself, we
have to make the difficult decision of closing our physical restaurant, given that it is
not viable long-term and we would also be cancelling your reservation.

Moving forward, we intend to reinvent ourselves as a cloud kitchen focused solely on

deliveries and takeouts. A cloud kitchen would allow us to implement a more flexible
menu4, where we can expand and experiment with new dishes. It would allow us to
improve the quality5 of our signature dishes that you have enjoyed for many years.
Our dishes will also be served with the classic Daun Pisang (banana leaves) 6 to
deliver the customary Peranakan eating experience to your homes.

With regards to the Christmas celebration you had a reservation for, we would still
like to provide you with a dining experience reminiscent of a traditional Peranakan
home. To do so, we propose a “Tok Panjang” 7 for your friends and family, which is a
celebratory feast staple in the Peranakan household. Your favourite Peranakan
dishes will be accompanied by traditional Nonyawares, to provide an all-
encompassing and memorable Peranakan dining experience.

We thank you for being our most loyal customer and undoubtedly contributing to
making Bibik Home what it is today. Your steady visits have strengthened our vision
of delivering high quality food, coupled with a tinge of culture and personal touch. I
assure you that we will continue to bring you the very best of Peranakan cuisine at

3 https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/some-retailers-cut-losses-or-shut-stores-rental-rates-
rebound-even-higher-pre-covid-1891786
4 https://sevenrooms.com/en/blog/5-advantages-of-cloud-kitchens-for-restaurants/
5 https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rise-of-cloud-kitchen-concept-in-india/article34787157.ece
6 https://peranakankitchen.wordpress.com/glossary/others/banana-leaves-daun-pisang/
7 https://nyonyalicious.com.au/tok-panjang-and-its-significance-in-the-peranakan-household/
your doorstep and serve you with the same enthusiasm and love that you
experienced while sitting at your spot in our restaurant. We have attached our digital
menu with all the instructions regarding our delivery services and Bibik’s Home
hopes that it has your continued support moving forward.

Yours sincerely,

Ryan Chiu
Owner
Bibik’s Home