Makan Buddies Programme

Running an F&B business in Singapore is one of the hardest jobs there is. The hours are long, the margins are thin, and the pressure of carrying staff, suppliers, and a brand on your shoulders does not switch off when service ends. Makan Buddies is the programme built around that reality.

It is a peer support and mental wellness initiative that pairs F&B owner-operators with someone running a similar business concept. The aim is simple: a confidential space to talk about what running an F&B operation actually does to you, and to work through it alongside someone who gets it.

What the programme covers

Across six months, Makan Buddies pairs explore self-care, managing burnout, money and people management, and how to communicate honestly with the people around you. The conversations are guided by a structured curriculum developed by Total Wellness Initiative Singapore (TWIS), so pairs are not left to figure it out alone.

How it works

• Peer matching — You are paired with a buddy whose business looks like yours. Same scale of pressures, same kinds of decisions, same texture of stress.
• Guided frameworks — Pairs work through a TWIS-designed curriculum together, with prompts and structure built in so conversations go somewhere useful.
• Mental wellness toolkits — Participants also receive practical online toolkits developed with Silver Ribbon Singapore, covering stress, difficult customers, and workplace mental health.

Who it is for

F&B owner-operators and senior leaders in Singapore. If you are responsible for the business and the people inside it, this programme was built for you.

Final dates and intake windows are confirmed with members directly. To register your interest, contact the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) Secretariat.