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Running a home-based food business is vastly different from a commercial setup, for reasons like how you don’t get the luxury of manpower to rush orders or shop space for delivery riders to wait for pickups. A post on @sgriders , an Instagram account dedicated to “speaking up on behalf of all delivery riders in Singapore”, recently called out Punggol home-based business Bincho Brews for three cardboard signs posted at its door. The Muslim-owned biz sells takeaway coffee beverages and cookies via GrabFood delivery. No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg . 1 9 “If you cannot wait… maybe this job not 4 u…” The neatly handwritten signs were ostensibly for managing human traffic outside the Edgedale Plains HDB flat, and were directed at delivery riders. One sign stated: “1. Riders here for collection pls press BELL. 2. Say out order number. 3. Wait patiently (you can sit down on bench f.o.c) :)” But netizens were rankled by another two signs accompanying the first, which said: “If you arrive early… learn to wait!!! Orders take time to prepare… You can always cancel your order :)” The third sign fired shots at riders by expressing: “If you cannot wait… maybe this job not 4 u… Here r some jobs that requires no waiting you can consider: toilet cleaner, gravedigger, landscaping, eldercare.” A caption accompanying @sgriders’ post noted: “While we appreciate the bench, the rude and degrading comments from this home-based business are uncalled for and unnecessary. If we seem impatient at times, we seek your empathy and understanding that our incomes are dependent on getting orders from vendor to customer as soon as possible. As Riders, long wait times and unreasonable vendors are just some long standing issues that affect our livelihood. We hope that other business [sic] can be less antagonistic and be kinder to Riders in the future.” 2 9 “Very condescending” Comments left on the IG post expressed outrage at the signs’ perceived condescension. While the business was not named in the post, several netizens identified the seller as Bincho Brews. 3 9 One netizen remarked on the trio of signs: “First one.. I was okay. Second one.. I was a bit like.. okay……… third one.. I was like… okay unnecessary.” Another Instagrammer wrote: “The last cardboard really grinds my gears because it doesn’t even make sense and jumps straight into alluding that riders should be thankful for their job and if they aren’t they should take on what they think are less desirable jobs? What a cruel and unclever way to deal with your own frustrations - imagine having such nasty outlook on life that it can’t help but ooze out, even if it costs the dignity of your own business. Someone please tell us who this is, will be sure to never patronise or mistakenly eat food created by such a person with such beliefs.” 4 9 “Unhinged” responses to GrabFood reviews Internet sleuths also checked out Bincho Brews’ GrabFood reviews, and described its responses to some negative reviews as “unhinged”. A customer with the username ‘iPhone’ stated that it “took an hour for merchant to prepare 6 drinks”. Bincho Brews offered a long response that explained it had “openly communicated that orders may take longer to prepare due to high demand”. It added: “We also want to address the troubling issue of entitlement. It's essential for all our customers to understand that while we appreciate their business, we treat every customer equally and fairly. No one's needs or orders take precedence over others and whichever order came first will be tended to first.” 5 9 A two-star review left by customer Echa said that their coffee “tasted extremely sweet and no coffee taste for the extra shot and even for the less sweet”. Bincho Brews pointed out in response that the customer got their order quantity wrong in the review, calling the feedback “questionable”, and “it’s also questionable that you’re the only customer picking on the drinks to be ‘extremely sweet’.” The response added: "Your options, choices and expectations clearly indicate your inexperience & unfamiliarity with specialty-coffee. Which is fine [smiley emoji]"  The seller ended their clapback by saying: “Tak payah mata merah terhadap rezeki orang lain sis, Allah S.W.T tahu niat masing masing, nanti sis sendiri kena jawab [smiley emoji]”, which translates to: “No need to be envious about others’ livelihood sis. Allah S.W.T knows each of our intentions and sis will have to answer for it next time.” 6 9 Another customer feedback that their order of a butter cookie latte and strawberry cheesecake cookie sandwich was “too sweet for me”, to which Bincho Brews responded: “Well its called desserts for a reason… [stone-faced emoji] maybe try buying fruits next time.” 7 9 In response to a two-star review opining that a “latte [is] too small for the price”, Bincho Brews wrote: “We stated tall size in the menu and you still continue to buy and complain?” 8 9 According to Bincho Brews’ self-introductory IG post, the biz and its sister brand Kumo Cookies is owned by “T, a Chinese-Muslim owner/baker” who turned her home bakery into a “small business” with the support of her husband, family and friends.  9 9 It appears that some folks had better experiences, as one customer named Michele gushed on her GrabFood review: “Love it! Friendly owner [smiley emoji].”  8days.sg has reached out to Bincho Brews for comment, and will update this story when we get a response. 8days.sg . www.tiktok.com/@8dayseat