Understanding SFA Requirements for F&B Establishments in Singapore

When designing or renovating a café, restaurant or bar, it’s not only about aesthetics and guest experience, it’s also about meeting regulatory requirements that underpin food safety, hygiene, and operational compliance. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) sets out a comprehensive set of requirements that the owner must adhere to before, during, and after fit-out. If the design doesn’t integrate these from the start, the owner risks costly reworks, delays, or worse, license issues.

Here are the major SFA requirements, broken into key sections, and how a designer-builder can incorporate them into your project.

1. Licence / Permit Requirements

What you need:

• If you’re operating a food shop (restaurants, cafés, canteens, food courts, kiosks) then you require a Food Shop Licence from SFA.

• The business must be legally eligible: e.g., registered entity with ACRA, or Singapore citizen/PR for sole owner. gobusiness.gov.sg

• The layout plan, tenancy/lease agreement, food handler training certificates and other supporting documents must be submitted as part of application. Link

• The licence cannot be transferred; if the business changes hands or trade description changes you must apply anew. Link

How a designer/contractor incorporates this:

• Ensure the tenancy/lease is secured before the design/contractor works commit major build-out. SFA will want proof of tenancy.

• When preparing the layout plan, work from the start with the architect/MEP so that your plan meets SFA’s scaled metric requirements. SFA will review and approve the layout plan as part of the licence. Link

• Emphasize in the project timeline: licence application → layout plan submission → SFA review → construction start. Don’t assume you can start before approval.

• Maintain records of food-handler training (see below) because SFA will check that.

  
  

2. Food Handler Training & Hygiene Personnel

What you need:

• Every food handler must pass the WSQ Food Safety Course (FSC) Level 1 before being allowed to handle or prepare food. Link

• For supervisory staff/food hygiene officers: Higher levels (FSC Level 3 and above) will apply under the new framework. Link

• The new SAFE (Safety Assurance for Food Establishment) Framework will require, in phases, more advanced food-safety systems and personnel. Link

• Operators must register food handlers, keep records, and ensure training is up-to-date. Link

  
  

How a designer/contractor incorporates this:

• During the design, allocate dedicated staff hygiene/change-rooms, training zones, and visible signage for hand-washing stations. Good layout supports training compliance.

• In handover documentation, recommend the operator integrate staff training records into digital/physical logs, and provide space for posting certificates.

• When selecting finishes and furniture, remember that surfaces must be easily cleanable so that hygiene training becomes meaningful in practice (not just theoretical).

  
  

3. Premises, Infrastructure, and Design Conditions

What you need:

SFA’s document “Conditions of Licensing for Food Establishments” sets out infrastructure-/design-related requirements: Link

Key requirements include:

• Building and facilities must be of sound construction and maintained in good repair. Link

• Construction materials must not transmit any undesirable substances to food (i.e., must be food-safe). Link

• The premises must be designed for easy cleaning and good supervision of food hygiene (i.e., visibility, accessible, no hidden inaccessible areas). Link

• Landscaping, external drainage, and pest prevention must be planned so as to minimise pest attractants or harbourages. Link

  
  

How a designer/contractor incorporates this:

• When specifying finishes for kitchen walls/floor/ceiling, choose materials with non-absorbent, easy-clean surfaces, and avoid porous surfaces in critical zones.

• Plan the back-of-house layout with clear sight lines, minimal hidden corners, and stable finishes - this helps with supervision of hygiene.

• Design for pest control: e.g., seal gaps, install door-sweeps, plan drainage so water doesn’t stagnate, ensure external landscaping is away from food-handling zones.

• Ensure equipment rooms, storage rooms have adequate service access, cleaning access, and that finishes are maintained (not just aesthetic).

• Document in your drawings the “traffic flow” from dirty to clean zones, staff vs guest zones, and raw vs cooked food zones. This helps to demonstrate hygiene-compliance thinking.

  
  

4. Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) & Pre-Requisite Programmes

What you need:

• For certain businesses (especially caterers, central kitchens, manufacturing), SFA requires implementing a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) — a proactive system to identify, prevent & reduce hazards. Link

• The FSMS is built on HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) principles plus pre-requisite programmes like cleaning schedules, maintenance, staff hygiene, supplier control. Link

• Under the new SAFE framework: establishments will be graded based on their track record plus whether they have FSMS in place (especially Category 1, higher risk). Link

  
  

How a designer/contractor incorporates this:

• In the renovation documentation, include service zones and documentation rooms where the operator can store FSMS records, cleaning logs, calibration logs, etc.

• Ensure design supports physical separation, equipment accessibility and monitoring zones (e.g., chillers with temperature logs, dedicated prep zones) so staff can follow FSMS.

• Provide signage, durable finishes, and lighting that support monitoring and housekeeping (for example, in the layout show hygiene audit board area).

• Suggest to your client that the build-out includes space for a “record & monitoring station” (could be small) where staff can check logs, equipment status, corrective actions.

  
  

5. Responsibilities of Operators & Ongoing Compliance

What you need:

• Licensees must implement food-safety control programmes and comply with relevant food laws and licensing conditions. Link

• They must obtain SFA approval whenever they make changes to the layout or operational activities. Link

• They must keep the licence updated and notify SFA of changes in particulars (e.g., name, UEN, business structure). Link

• Failure to operate with a valid licence or to meet the conditions means an offence. Link

• For renewal: must satisfy no outstanding obligations (like Medisave for self-employed), and cannot accumulate disqualifying track record of hygiene lapses. Link

  
  

How a designer/contractor incorporates this:

• In the hand-over pack to your client, include a checklist of “changes requiring prior SFA approval” (layout change, trade description change, adding new food handling processes).

• Ensure your design contract spells out that layout alterations after build must be reviewed by both designer and client with SFA in mind.

• Provide advice or brief your client on best practices for ongoing maintenance, staff training, and hygiene culture—not just build-out. A well-designed space still needs proper operation.

• Include in your maintenance schedule (post-handover) reminders for the client to keep records, review equipment, check pest control, etc.

  
  

6. Design & Build Tips: Integrating SFA Requirements Early

To summarise how to marry your design/build workflow with SFA requirements:

• Start early with compliance: When conceptualising your F&B space, include SFA checklist items in your brief (licensing, hygiene flows, staff training, FSMS).

• Coordinate layout & M&E early: The layout plan submitted to SFA must reflect actual flow of operations, equipment placement, waste disposal, staff vs guest areas. Make this part of your design freeze so you don't have to re-submit later.

• Choose finishes & materials responsibly: Hygiene-friendly surfaces matter. Avoid purely aesthetic materials if they hamper cleaning or harbour pests.

• Include training & signage zones: The best design anticipates where staff will be trained, change, wash hands, log data. Design spaces accordingly.

• Include monitoring & records space: Even a small wall-mounted board or digital terminal can help staff comply with FSMS; include it in your design.

• Plan for maintenance: Exhaust ducts, hoods, equipment clean-outs, pest control access—these need service access and record-keeping.

• Handover thoroughly: Provide your client with a compliance checklist, layout drawings, staff training zones, cleaning log templates, and a brief orientation on how the design supports SFA requirements.

  
  

Final Thoughts

Designing an F&B space is much more than choosing pretty finishes and trendy furniture. Regulatory compliance under SFA is a fundamental design consideration - from the moment the tenancy is signed to the day you hand over the keys and beyond.

By embedding SFA requirements into your design and build process, you significantly reduce risk: fewer redesigns, fewer licensing delays, smoother inspections, and, ultimately, a space that not only looks good but also performs legally and operationally for years to come.

At Studio Unfold, we help not just shape the look of your F&B venue—but ensure the build-out supports good operations, compliance, and longevity. If you’re planning a café, bar, or restaurant renovation, let’s bring the regulatory side into your design plan from Day 1.

👉 Get in touch if you’d like us to work on the SFA checklist for your next fit-out project.