From birthdays and job promotions to marriage proposals, many of life’s milestones are celebrated in food and beverage (F&B) establishments every day.
This is made possible by frontline service staff, highlighted the chief executive officer of Workforce Singapore, Ms Dilys Boey, who was also the guest of honour at the Restaurant Association of Singapore’s (RAS) Excellent Service Awards (EXSA) 2025, which was held at Nanyang Polytechnic’s Auditorium on Sept 24.
“You are the heartbeat of the food services industry, you bring the human touch that no app, no machine, no AI can ever replace,” Ms Boey said.
Launched in 1994, the EXSA is a national award that recognises F&B service heroes such as servers, cashiers, floor captains, and restaurant managers.
A total of 2,653 recipients were awarded across four categories, starting with Silver, followed by Gold, Star and the top honour, the Superstar Award.
Mr Puganeswaran Ganeson, 41, received the Star Award and was one of 10 finalists chosen from 2,900 nominations for the Superstar Award. He is the restaurant manager at the Bedrock Bar & Grill in Orchard, a position he first assumed in 2009 as a floor captain.
“A captain takes care of the guests mainly, while a restaurant manager also trains the staff and helps shape the workplace culture,” Mr Pugan explained.
Coming from Malaysia, where he studied information technology (IT), he found a job in the IT sector upon arriving in Singapore. On a friend’s recommendation, he switched to his present role and stayed on as he enjoyed interacting with customers. While his family was initially not receptive to this change, he eventually proved himself with a successful F&B career.
“Some people still have the negative perception that in F&B we work long hours with low pay, but winning this award legitimises my achievements. I feel kind of proud, but it’s also a team effort,” Mr Pugan said.
Ms Wickrama Arachchige Anusha, 49, who has been a part-time cashier at the Texas Chicken outlet at Hougang Capeview for the past nine years, received the Star Award and was nominated for the Superstar Award.
She previously worked full-time at the luggage check-in counter for an airline but wanted to ease into a slower pace of life with a part-time role.
“I joined the outlet since the day it first opened, and though my title is cashier, I can do everything. In my free time, I help out with the accounts and settlements, or the burger station,” Ms Anusha said.
Ms Anusha turned down opportunities to become a team leader over the years, preferring to remain in a customer-facing role as she enjoys talking to people. “I have to stand for many hours, but I like greeting and welcoming the customers,” she said.
Mr Vadivel Selvakumar, 38, received the Gold Award and is the first Indian from The Soup Restaurant’s group of companies to win an EXSA award. He is the restaurant manager at the Cafe O outlet in Changi Airport Terminal 2.
Joining Cafe O nearly 10 years ago as a cook, he started with dishes like roti prata, tea, and coffee, before expanding his repertoire to include nasi lemak, laksa, and mee rebus. The Tamil Nadu native arrived in Singapore at the age of 23, having completed his studies in hotel management.
“When I first started, I couldn’t speak English much, but over time I built up a basic proficiency. The company also sent me for training programmes to develop my management and customer service skills, and get my halal certification,” Mr Vadivel said.
Winning an EXSA award was never in his sights, but it has encouraged Mr Vadivel to upskill further, and he hopes his win will inspire more Indian colleagues from his company to be recognised in the future.
With Deepavali nearby, Mr Andrew Chan, RAS vice-president, empathised with frontline service staff who have to work on special occasions. “Customers need to make the staff feel appreciated and recognise the sacrifices they’ve made to create an enjoyable festive dining experience,” he said.
