straitstimes.com

Colour-coded price labels for economy rice dishes at Koufu food courts, coffee shops

SINGAPORE – Diners at food courts and coffee shops run by Koufu will be able to tell at a glance the price for each dish of their economy rice order via colour-coded labels, in a new tie-up with the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case).

For a start, the labels will be rolled out to economy rice stalls operating at all 77 Koufu food courts and coffee shops by end-2025.

However, Case hopes to extend this to all economy rice stalls islandwide to reduce disputes over how much each plate of food is priced at, improve price transparency, and give consumers more certainty about the cost of their order.

In the case of Koufu, blue labels denote seafood, which will cost $2.50 a serving.

Orange labels are for meat dishes costing $1.50 per serving, and green labels are for vegetables that will cost $1 for each serving.

White labels will be used for “premium items” on which prices are to be handwritten.

The initiative was launched at Hong Le Mixed Veg Rice Stall at the Koufu Food Court at Plantation Plaza in Tengah estate on March 24 by Case president Melvin Yong and Koufu chief financial officer Chua Sher Lin.

Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling was also present to witness the launch.

Ms Low is MP of the Bukit Gombak ward of Chua Chu Kang GRC. Tengah estate will be absorbed into the group representation constituency under new electoral boundaries that will apply for the upcoming general election.

Mr Yong, who is also MP of Radin Mas SMC, said it is common to hear consumer complaints about how much a meal costs after they have chosen the dishes they want.

CMG20250324-LimMS02/林明顺/林伟杰, 林卓敏/Price Transparency for Mixed Economical Rice Project (请摄影经营照片）[Koufu @ Plantation Plaza (127 Plantation Cres, #03-02 Plantation Plaza, Singapore 690127)]

The association hopes to bring onboard other operators beyond Koufu this year. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

“The dispute often centred on the ambiguity of the prices of the dishes on display. Having colour coded labels will allow consumers to make informed choices and prevent any potential disputes over prices.”

Thanking Koufu for its partnership, Mr Yong expressed hopes that all economy rice stalls in Singapore will also work with Case to put up similar labels.

“It is important that we know clearly the price of what we are buying.”

The association hopes to bring onboard other operators beyond Koufu this year. Those that are interested can contact Case about introducing the labels.

Ms Chua of Koufu said the initiative will help customers quickly recognise the categories each dish falls into, based on their colour.

“The pilot launch at the Koufu (in) Plantation Plaza will be a great starting point, with plans to expand to other outlets by 2025.

“This initiative will benefit both customers by making it easier to understand pricing and choices, and stall operators by promoting fair and clear pricing.”