• While most diners were planning around the new five-person limit, a few were still arriving in groups of more than five
• They thought it was okay if they were seated separately, at two tables
• Restaurants were mixed in their approach on how to deal with such demands

SINGAPORE — This is not the first time that people are only allowed to dine in groups of up to five individuals, but restaurant managers and waitresses are still finding themselves caught in sticky situations where diners who arrived in bigger groups try to get admitted by sitting apart.

For instance, just when dinner service started at Enak Enak Hong Kong Tea House in East Coast Park on Sunday (May 9), TODAY witnessed a commotion where a group of diners insisted on getting two adjacent tables, so as to accommodate more than five individuals.

This was despite the Covid-19 multi-ministry task force announcing on Tuesday that the size of social gatherings and the daily number of visitors for each household would be reduced from a maximum of eight to five from Saturday to May 30.

A woman was overheard arguing with a waiter who refused to seat the diners as they wished, saying: “But you’re going to sit other people at the next table! What’s the difference?”

Speaking to TODAY, the restaurant’s manager, Mr Azhar Ahmad, 40, said such incidents, where big groups would insist on getting seated in separate tables or start intermingling after getting seated at the restaurant, often happen.

Once, a group of diners had even used outdated news articles sourced from the internet when attempting to make their case, he said.

“We as customer relations officers have a tough job accommodating and educating or reminding our customers,” Mr Azhar said. “We have a lot of posters, information pamphlets and everything, but it doesn’t work, because Singaporeans don’t read them.”

A poster displayed at the outlet instructed diners to keep to groups of five or fewer, to not intermingle between groups from different tables, to put on their mask when not eating or drinking and to maintain a safe distance of at least one metre from others.

But Mr Azhar knew better than to make concessions for such diners. If the authorities had found out, his restaurant could be ordered to close like some others that were reported in the news.

On April 30, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment had said in a statement that 10 food and beverage (F&B) outlets were ordered to close and another five were issued composition fines after they were found to have violated Covid-19 safety regulations.

However, not all restaurants have formulated robust measures to stave off the large groups.

Mr Allaan Tan, 68, owner of Ubin First Stop Restaurant, said the restaurant had not proactively called customers who booked tables for more than five to cancel their reservations, leaving it up to their patrons.

At least 10 groups of diners had called to cancel their reservations for Sunday, which happened to be Mother’s Day, he said.

“Those who have up to eight, if they do not call, it means they won’t come,” Mr Tan said.

Ms Arisa Yang, 31, owner of Blue Pier Seafood, said people should know of the new rules as the chairs and tables at her restaurant had already been rearranged such that only four or five individuals can sit as a group.

“People know the drill now. When (Phase 2 of Singapore’s reopening of its economy kicked in last year following the circuit breaker), people were still trying to test the limits by asking if it is possible to still be allowed to dine as a big group as long as no one saw,” she said.

“I no longer get such requests... To be honest, very few people are dining out compared to before,” she added, pointing out that she used to get bookings for more than 10 tables during Mother’s Day, but only had five to six tables booked this year.

Diners TODAY approached were aware of the rules.

Ms Nur Syafiqah Abdullah, 31, a mother of three, said she would usually spend Mother’s Day eating out with her extended family, but this year, she and her husband had only wished their parents ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ over WhatsApp.

“We don’t really go out (with our extended family) together now. At most, we will visit our parents’ houses,” said the housewife.

Ms Samantha Wah, 32, who works in asset management, booked a reservation for her family of four and her boyfriend at Jumbo Seafood in East Coast Park.

“Because we are a family of four, it is much easier,” she said.

A 29-year-old nurse – a new mother who wanted to be known only as Mrs Sng – was initially anticipating to celebrate her first Mother’s Day along with her birthday, which fell on Saturday, by eating out with both her family and her husband’s family.

But due to changes to the regulations, they decided to celebrate the occasion at home instead.

The mother of a four-month-old boy lives at her in-law’s place, so she could still accommodate her family there, given that up to five visitors per household is allowed.

Nevertheless, she finds the new regulations necessary to further control the number of community cases. “Since I am a mum already, I’m also concerned for my son’s well-being. So I’m happy to keep him at home,” she said.

“And also since I’m a nurse, I know how serious things are. Staying at home is the best.”