Kallang glow-up: A first-of-its-kind integrated hub for food businesses

Singapore’s food and beverage sector is expanding in exciting ways. New business models have emerged, such as central kitchens catering to multiple outlets and cloud kitchens fulfilling online orders. Food businesses are also experimenting with high-tech methods like vertical farming, hydroponics and lab-grown meat.

As more players enter the market, demand for local food infrastructure remains strong – and is evolving. Increasingly, F&B operators want more than kitchen space. They are looking for premises that can support the entire food value chain, from production and storage to logistics and retail.

Gourmet Xchange, a nine-storey food factory at 1 Kallang Way, is purpose-built to meet these needs. Helmed by CapitaLand Development, it is Singapore’s largest strata-titled food development and its first integrated waterfront food hub located in a prime precinct.

A STRATEGIC CENTRAL LOCATION 

Location remains key to commercial success. Gourmet Xchange offers strong islandwide connectivity, situated near the central business district with direct links to major expressways, air and sea ports, and three MRT stations within a 1km radius. Nearby residential areas also make it easier to attract and retain talent.

For operators, this means faster delivery runs, lower logistics costs and a broader hiring pool. For customer-facing restaurants and food kiosks, the central setting improves visibility and access.

WHY KALLANG MATTERS

Gourmet Xchange sits along Kallang River, an area earmarked for revitalisation under the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s master plan. Planned enhancements – including new community nodes, public spaces and lifestyle attractions – aim to bring renewed activity to the waterfront and strengthen its live-work-play appeal.

Gourmet Xchange is positioned as part of this broader transformation. Its integrated concept combines food production with recreational amenities along the river. These include a central plaza that can host events like food bazaars, a river promenade with a fitness corner, a third-floor sky garden and dining options.

These shared spaces are open to residents, visitors and workers, helping to foster social connection. For businesses, the advantages are twofold: a work environment that supports staff well-being, and additional touchpoints to engage customers and partners.

ONE ADDRESS, MANY BUSINESS MODELS

Gourmet Xchange is made up of two clusters: The Xchange, a new nine-storey block; and Heritage Terrace, a smaller wing built in the 1980s and preserved for adaptive reuse.

The Xchange has 264 production and F&B units, with production spaces in two configurations – rare deluxe units (up to 758 sq m) and standard units (up to 393 sq m). Heritage Terrace, a showcase for sustainable redevelopment, consists of eight three-storey units. Together, they offer one of the most diverse product mixes among food factories in Singapore, supporting activities across the food value chain.

Businesses can convert production units into food processing facilities, central kitchens, research and development labs, cold-chain warehouses, or packaging and distribution centres. First-floor dining spots benefit from street-level frontage. The ecosystem also enables companies to collaborate more easily, whether between wholesalers and retailers or food tech startups and distributors.

At Heritage Terrace, the three-storey layout allows for vertical integration under one roof. A bakery, for instance, can produce at scale, house offices on the second floor and operate a cafe at street level. A ready-to-eat meals manufacturer can include a retail tasting counter, while a central kitchen can add on-site customer pickup points.

PURPOSE-BUILT FOR EFFICIENCY AND SCALABILITY

In a high-volume, fast-moving food industry, smooth logistics and reliable throughput are essential. Operational efficiency is a central consideration in Gourmet Xchange’s design.

The development is the only strata project in Singapore to feature a 16m-wide driveway and ramp-up access that allows 40-footer container trucks to reach the first three floors of the main block.

All production units are served by dedicated 24-footer rigid-frame truck loading and unloading bays, while deluxe units have bigger lots to accommodate 40-footer container trucks. Heavy-duty vehicles can also access common loading bays on levels two and three, with service lifts connecting all floors to support smoother goods handling and workflow management.

Larger deluxe units, along with modular layouts that can be combined, give F&B operators room to grow. This flexibility allows businesses – both homegrown and overseas – to scale operations without incurring high capital expenditure.

“Gourmet Xchange is one of the most strategic food zone projects in Singapore,” said Dr Charles Chen, founder and project director of FoodNet International Holdings. “Its good-sized units, central location and specifications make it a suitable choice for food companies, whether in manufacturing, logistics or operating a central kitchen supplying their own retail outlets.”

THE CASE FOR BUYERS AND INVESTORS

Food businesses often face a choice between buying and leasing. For new developments, high setup costs – including fit-outs for mechanical and electrical systems, cold rooms and regulatory compliance – mean that companies could take 10 to 15 years to break even.

Ownership provides greater long-term certainty in such cases. It shields operators from rental increases or forced relocation risks, allows infrastructure costs to be amortised over longer production cycles, and strengthens business continuity and valuation.

As the F&B industry moves towards greater vertical integration to improve efficiency and quality control, developments like Gourmet Xchange reflect these changing needs. Beyond being an all-in-one food factory, it is a lively hub for work, leisure and wellness – advancing food innovation, business growth and a vibrant waterfront community.

Gourmet Xchange is open for preview from Feb 27, 2026, at its sales gallery (1 Kallang Way 5). For more information or to book an appointment, visit gourmetxchange.com.sg or contact 6713 3688.