Gen Z couples say no to hawker centre first dates

In the light of a Bumble survey, The Sunday Times speaks to four couples to find out how dating etiquette has evolved over the years

- Cherie Lok

Singapore's hawker centres are great for many things: cheap meals, convenient access, even cultural cachet. It did, after all, earn Singapore its first inscription on Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

But first dates? Not so much, according to a survey published by online dating application Bumble earlier in 2024. It found that only around 16 per cent of Singaporeans went to a hawker centre on a first date, while just 30 per cent have been there at all with a partner.

"Hawker centres are undoubtedly one of Singapore's most iconic and popular dining locations, so I had expected more Singaporeans to have dates there more often," says Ms Chen Meihui, 30, Bumble's Asia Pacific communications lead.

She adds that this lower-than-expected figure could be attributed to how couples might view eating at hawker centres as an act of convenience, instead of a date.

In fact, 23 per cent of Gen Z respondents - aged 18 to 26 - feel that such eateries are "unacceptable" as a first-date spot, with 20 per cent of younger millennials - those aged 27 to 34 - and 18 per cent of older millennials - aged 35 to 47 - sharing that view.

According to Bumble, this could signal that Gen Zers place more emphasis on the importance of first impressions.

Ms Vivien Cheong, 54, an administrative and operations executive, who is mother to a 25-year-old, agrees. She met her husband Thomas Ong, a 55-year-old business development director, in 1989 while working a temporary clerical job at an engineering firm.

Hawker centres were their main date venues. They have now been married for nearly 30 years.

"We didn't have a lot of money, so we went on simple dates at hawker centres or at my home, where food was free," she says.

"Now, dating is more expensive. Kids get a lot of pocket money, and sometimes they like to outdo one another by posting their dates on social media."