Jumbo Seafood has raised S$313,280 for six charitable organisations as its first and flagship outlet at East Coast Park closed after nearly four decades of operation.
The East Coast Seafood Centre restaurant officially bid farewell to customers on Sept. 30, ending a 39-year chapter that began when the outlet opened in 1987. The closure came as the site prepares for redevelopment as part of longer-term plans for East Coast Park.
The fundraising total was announced during the restaurant’s farewell and appreciation dinner. The six beneficiaries are Children’s Wishing Well, Food from the Heart, Cheng Hong Welfare Service Society, Free Food for All, Nulife Counselling and Singapore Women’s Association.
The charity effort was also tied to a special farewell menu offered from Sept. 21 to 29. Half of the proceeds from the celebratory set meals went towards the fundraising campaign, allowing diners to take part in the restaurant’s final days while supporting the selected organisations.
The special menu brought back several signature and nostalgic dishes that are no longer regularly available, including the restaurant’s chilli crab served with mantou, chilled Australian lobster with salad cream and mixed fruits, and its homestyle crispy seafood tofu. The sets were available for groups of four to 10 people, with prices starting from S$258++.
The East Coast outlet’s closure marks the end of the location where the home-grown seafood chain first began. Over 39 years, the restaurant became closely associated with the waterfront dining experience at East Coast Park and helped establish the brand’s reputation for Singaporean seafood favourites.
The closure was not attributed to declining business. Instead, the restaurant’s lease expired as the National Parks Board studies plans to redevelop East Coast Seafood Centre and rejuvenate the surrounding area. Tenants were informed that they would need to vacate the premises, with lease arrangements extended to give businesses additional time to prepare.
The restaurant had remained an important part of Jumbo Group’s operations. It contributed about 14 per cent of the group’s revenue in the financial year ended Sept. 30, 2025, although the company said the closure was not expected to have a material impact on earnings per share or net tangible assets for the financial year ending Sept. 30, 2026.
Jumbo Seafood has since expanded far beyond its original East Coast location, with outlets in Singapore and overseas markets including China, South Korea and Indonesia.
Following the closure, the group continues to operate six Jumbo Seafood outlets in Singapore at Riverside Point, Dempsey Hill, ION Orchard, Jewel Changi Airport, The Riverwalk and Resorts World Sentosa.
The East Coast Seafood Centre has long been associated with Singapore’s seafood dining culture, with establishments operating there since the 1980s. Another longstanding tenant, Long Beach, is relocating to Coastal PlayGrove within East Coast Park as the redevelopment plans move forward.
For Jumbo Seafood, the final days at East Coast Park became both a farewell and a way to give back. The more than S$313,000 raised for charity added a community-focused chapter to the restaurant’s 39-year history at the site where the brand first opened its doors.
