Part 8/11:
The prospect of government intervention raises questions. If laws were introduced requiring licensed alcohol-serving venues to provide free tap water, establishments might respond by increasing menu prices to offset added costs. Some bar owners indicate they would comply but warn about the potential rise in overall costs.
Professor Quan Hui Lee from the Singapore Institute of Technology elaborates that some high-end restaurants can afford to serve free water because their margins from food sales are higher. Conversely, smaller or independent restaurants, operating on narrower profit margins, need to find ways to reduce costs—such as installing self-service water stations or encouraging customers to order via QR codes—to sustain their business.