NTU students start petition to save canteen stalls amid rental hikes, $20,000 renovation fee

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) students have launched a petition urging the university to protect vendors at CresPion Canteen, as a change in management threatens to displace existing stalls.

Titled "Save Our CresPion Canteen", students are concerned that rising rental costs and renovation fees imposed by the incoming operator could force vendors to shut down or relocate.

As at Tuesday (Nov 3), it has garnered 1,533 signatures on Change.org.

The student group NTU Financial Aid and Friends also shared the petition on Instagram, highlighting concerns over the potential loss of affordable food options on campus.

NTU's Office of Commercial and Auxiliary Services (OCAS) is changing the canteen's operator to Food Paradise, with renovation scheduled to begin on Dec 11.

According to the petition, every existing stall is currently facing the possibility of having to quit, with vendors having to decide whether they can afford to continue operating under the new arrangements.

Vendors face up to two to three times increase in monthly costs

The petition states that existing vendors currently pay around $3,600 in monthly costs to the outgoing operator, Food Haven.

This includes rental, cleaning and management fees, as well as the Gross Turnover (GTO), which refers to a percentage of a stall's monthly sales paid to the landlord on top of its base rent.

According to the petition, which cites figures obtained through interviews with stakeholders who wish to remain anonymous, monthly costs under the new arrangement are expected to exceed $7,100, in addition to a 5 per cent GTO.

Vendors will also have to fork out an additional $20,000 in renovation fees, the petition claimed. It amounts to more than five months of their previous rent.

The students felt that the increased operating costs could eventually translate into higher food prices or force existing vendors to leave.

"These vendors are the heartbeat of CresPion, providing relatively affordable meals to students who reside here and in neighbouring halls," the petition stated.

It added that replacing the existing stalls with new operators could result in more expensive food options, further limiting access to affordable meals on campus.

Students call on NTU to protect existing vendors

The petition outlines four demands for NTU OCAS, including allowing existing vendors to remain without having to bear the additional renovation costs and steep rental increases.

It also calls for the university to keep rental and food costs affordable, arguing that higher operating expenses could eventually be passed on to students and other customers.

"Currently, there are no other alternatives as cheap as what CresPion Canteen offers," the petition stated.

The students pointed out that vendors already experience up to four months of reduced income during school holidays, when student traffic on campus is lower.

They also urged NTU to reconsider what they described as profit-maximising practices, arguing that the university, as a public institution, should prioritise the welfare of its students and workers.

Dining facilites showing signs of wear and tear: NTU spokesperson

An NTU spokesperson told AsiaOne that Pioneer Food Court, located at Crescent and Pioneer Halls, will undergo refurbishment works beginning December 2026, as dining facilities and food preparation areas are showing signs of age and wear.

Following a request for proposal and evaluation process, which involved a committee including staff and student representatives from the Hall Council, Food Paradise was appointed as the new master operator to manage the food court, the spokesperson said.

As part of Food Paradise’s proposal to enhance the dining experience and hygiene standards, it will carry out the upgrading works.

“Consistent with the practice in the F&B industry, NTU food court operators run their locations as independent businesses. While NTU maintains active oversight of dining standards and the availability of affordable food options across campus, the master operator decides how best to manage the food court and sets commercial agreements directly and independently with individual stall owners.”

The university prioritises keeping campus dining options diverse, nutritious, and affordable for our students and community. Key initiatives to ensure affordable food options include benchmarking of food prices and mandatory provision of value meal options.

Food court operators are also required to seek the university’s approval prior to price adjustments, the spokesperson added.

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asyiqin.nadzri@asiaone.com