Fast-food chains are expanding

3 March, ST
Sandwich joint Subway (left) will open 10 outlets this year, while MOS Burger will hire about 50 people next month at two new outlets. -- ST PHOTOS: LIM SIN THAI

SINGAPORE is set for a fast-food explosion in the coming year.
Ten fast-food chains The Straits Times spoke to - from established names such as McDonald's and Long John Silver's, to new players like Carl's Jr. - all have expansion and hiring plans.

A Straits Times poll of 40 people indicated that more than eight in 10 visit fast-food restaurants at least once a week.

Mr Alwyn Tay, 27, an engineer, said: 'Eating in fast-food restaurants is not much more expensive than eating in foodcourts. You get better service and a full meal by paying just one or two dollars more.'

Value meals and lunch promotions are a draw for students.
Ms Nurul Syahidah, 18, who visits fast-food restaurants at least four times a week, sees a McDonald's Sausage McMuffin and a drink for $2 as a good deal - and a filling one too.
For final-year Nanyang Polytechnic student Jane Tay, 19, fast-food dining is a lifestyle choice: 'Everyone is going for quick service these days because people have less time.'
For Mr Benjamin Foo, who was having breakfast with his family at a McDonald's outlet in Queensway, fast-food restaurants are a more economical option for family gatherings.
Said the 40-year-old engineer: 'Children will still want to enjoy fast food, with or without a recession.'

siwan@sph.com.sg
gohyh@sph.com.sg

We learnt under the topic of 'Accessibility of food", that with globalisation, there will be a growing number fast-food outlets that will create a demand for the different types of food around the world. Look, Singapore is a classic example. Look below and read about the warning from nutritionists about consuming too much fast food.

EAT IN MODERATION

THE boom in fast food has a downside: Nutritionists are warning that over-consumption can lead to obesity and related ailments such as hypertension, heart disease and diabetes.

And though they recommend limiting fast-food consumption to once or twice a week, a straw poll conducted by The Straits Times showed that over half of the 40 people interviewed visit such joints at least twice a week. Students are among the biggest customers.

Mr Steven Taye, 21, a final-year Institute of Technical Education student who eats fast food about twice a week, said: 'It is affordable, comfort food which we all grew up eating.'

Competitive prices and accessibility make such places popular with Mr Augustine Boey, 22, a geography undergraduate at the National University of Singapore. He patronises them three to four times a week. When told about the health risks, he said they were over-stated.

Agreeing, Mr Jeric Lin, 24, a direct sales officer, said: 'I don't really think fast food is unhealthy if we don't eat too much of it. We are still young, so it is not so bad.'

However, Ms Ho Yi Fei, a nutritionist at Dayspring Corporate Wellness, cautioned that the high levels of cholesterol and salt in fast food cause problems such as high blood pressure, which cannot be rectified by merely exercising.

Ms Teo Kiok Seng, a nutritionist at Nutrition Network Services, added that a healthy lifestyle comprises both regular exercise and healthy eating habits.

LEOW SI WAN & GOH YI HAN