After more than two decades of serving seafood lovers in Singapore, Greenwood Fish Market is preparing for a major change. The family-owned restaurant chain, which opened its doors in 2003, is entering the shopping mall dining scene for the first time.
The company plans to open its newest location at VivoCity on November 4, 2026, marking an important milestone in its 23-year history. Unlike its existing restaurants, the new outlet will introduce a bistro concept that offers familiar seafood favorites alongside new dishes.
The expansion represents more than another restaurant opening. It could also become the first step toward taking the Singaporean seafood brand into international markets.
Founder David Lee believes the new location will make the restaurant more accessible while allowing the company to explore a different business model.
A new chapter after 23 years in business
Greenwood Fish Market began operating in 2003 with its original establishment on Greenwood Avenue in Bukit Timah. Over the years, the business built a reputation for fresh seafood through a combination of restaurant dining and seafood retail.
The company expanded to Quayside Isle in Sentosa in 2015, establishing its second restaurant. However, it continued to operate primarily from these two locations rather than pursue an aggressive expansion strategy.
The VivoCity opening will become the company’s third restaurant and its first inside a shopping mall. It also introduces a smaller, more flexible bistro format.
For a business that has spent more than two decades developing its identity, entering a shopping mall represents a significant change. The move suggests that Greenwood Fish Market wants to reach customers who may not ordinarily travel to its established dining destinations.
It also comes as the company celebrates its 23rd anniversary in October 2026.
Why Greenwood Fish Market chose VivoCity
Convenience is one of the biggest reasons the restaurant chose to enter the shopping mall market.
Greenwood Fish Market’s existing restaurants operate in locations that customers may visit specifically for a seafood meal. A shopping mall provides a different environment where people can discover dining options while shopping, meeting friends, or spending time with family.
Founder David Lee, 70, explained that moving into a mall would make the brand more convenient for existing customers. The company also hopes its new format will appeal to diners who have never visited Greenwood Fish Market before.
Rather than simply reproducing its traditional restaurant concept, the business is adapting its offering to suit a different dining environment.
This approach could let customers enjoy the brand’s seafood without committing to a longer restaurant outing. It could also attract shoppers looking for something different from the usual mall dining options.
The strategy’s success will depend on how well the bistro balances its established reputation with the expectations of a broader customer base.
A different menu with familiar seafood favorites
One of the most noticeable changes at the VivoCity restaurant will be its menu.
Instead of offering only the dishes associated with Greenwood Fish Market’s existing restaurants, the new bistro will combine established favorites with newly introduced selections.
Lee told AsiaOne that about 50% of the menu will feature the company’s signature dishes. The remaining half will introduce different options, including tapas, small plates, and oshizushi, a Japanese-style pressed sushi.
This combination lets the restaurant stay connected with longtime customers while experimenting with new dining experiences.
The introduction of smaller plates could also appeal to customers who prefer ordering several items to share rather than committing to a larger seafood meal.
Importantly, the company intends to offer a broader seafood selection while maintaining a focus on value.
Although the full bistro menu and prices have not been confirmed in the available reporting, the proposed changes suggest Greenwood Fish Market is exploring ways to make its offerings more versatile.
For returning customers, familiar dishes could provide reassurance. For first-time visitors, the new additions may provide a reason to try the restaurant.
The seafood business has another advantage.
Greenwood Fish Market’s restaurant operations are part of a business model that goes beyond serving customers at dining tables.
The company operates across three areas: restaurants, seafood retail, and wholesale distribution. It imports seafood directly, sells products to individual customers, and supplies hotels and other restaurants.
This arrangement gives the company greater involvement in how seafood moves from suppliers to customers.
According to Lee, avoiding unnecessary intermediaries has been central to the company’s strategy since its establishment.
By importing seafood directly, Greenwood Fish Market aims to manage purchasing costs while maintaining product quality.
That approach matters because seafood restaurants must balance several competing priorities, including freshness, pricing, product availability, and customer expectations.
The business believes its direct-import model helps it offer better value. However, the company has not disclosed how much the arrangement reduces costs compared with traditional restaurant purchasing methods.
The founder is already thinking beyond Singapore.
Although the VivoCity location has not yet opened, Greenwood Fish Market is already considering how the new concept might work overseas.
Lee has described the upcoming bistro as an opportunity to evaluate whether the business could eventually expand through international franchising.
Unlike opening and managing every restaurant directly, franchising could allow the brand to enter new markets through partnerships with other operators.
However, overseas expansion remains possible, not confirmed.
The company has not announced specific international destinations, franchise partners, or an expansion timetable.
Instead, the VivoCity location will provide an opportunity to observe how customers respond to the updated menu and dining format.
For a restaurant chain with only two established locations, testing a new concept before pursuing international growth may help identify potential challenges.
It could also reveal which parts of the Greenwood Fish Market experience are essential to preserving the brand’s identity.
Surviving in Singapore’s competitive restaurant industry
Running a restaurant for more than two decades doesn’t guarantee financial success, and Greenwood Fish Market’s founder recognizes that.
Lee has openly discussed the challenges of operating in the food and beverage industry, emphasizing the importance of making adjustments as business conditions change.
Rather than focusing exclusively on rapid expansion or maximum profits, he considers long-term survival a central business priority.
His perspective reflects the practical challenges restaurants face as customer preferences, operating expenses, and competition change.
The new bistro concept fits that philosophy by allowing Greenwood Fish Market to explore another opportunity without abandoning its existing operations.
The company’s seafood retail and wholesale businesses may also provide additional sources of revenue beyond restaurant dining.
Still, the success of the VivoCity outlet cannot be predicted until it opens.
The key question is whether the new format attracts enough customers while maintaining the seafood quality and value the business wants to deliver.
What customers can expect when the restaurant opens
Greenwood Fish Market’s new bistro is scheduled to welcome customers on November 4, 2026, at VivoCity, Singapore.
Visitors can expect a combination of established seafood dishes and newer options designed around smaller plates and a more varied menu.
The upcoming restaurant will join the company’s existing Greenwood Avenue and Quayside Isle locations, bringing its total number of outlets to three.
For now, the most significant development is the company’s willingness to try something different after 23 years.
The VivoCity opening represents a careful attempt to bring an established seafood business to a wider audience while laying the groundwork for possible international growth.
If the new bistro succeeds, it could mark the start of a much larger chapter for Greenwood Fish Market. For now, November 4 will be the first major test of that ambition.
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