Same Space, Different Rent—Which Game Are You Ready to Play?

From the Desk of Jonathan Lim, Founder & CEO of Oddle

Most restaurant owners obsess over location.

And for good reason—location can bring you footfall. It can put you on the map.

But here’s the truth:

You don’t pay rent with footfall. You pay it with revenue.

And revenue has to be earned—whether you’re in a prime mall or a side street.

Let me show you what I mean.

🏗 Two Spaces. Same Size. Different Games.

Imagine you’re choosing between two 1,200 sqft locations for your casual dining restaurant:

1. Mall Location @ $20 psf → Rent = $24,000/month
2. Secondary Location @ $10 psf → Rent = $12,000/month

Exact same size. Very different stakes.

To maintain a healthy 15% rent-to-revenue ratio, here’s how much revenue each location must generate monthly:

Now here’s where the real conversation begins.

🎯 Mall Strategy: Visibility Comes at a Price

Yes, the mall gives you footfall.

You’re near a cinema, a supermarket, maybe even a train station.

But that visibility costs you.

To justify the rent, you’ll need to:

• Run at 2–3 full turns a day
• Maximise delivery during off-peak
• Make every seat work harder

In theory, you don’t need to market as aggressively—eyeballs are already there.

But here's the catch:

You're competing with every other F&B brand on the same floor.

Visibility doesn’t equal preference. You still need to win the booking, the craving, or the queue.

🌱 Secondary Location Strategy: Lower Rent, Higher Hustle

At $10 psf, your rent load is lighter—but your job gets harder.

You won’t have the luxury of walk-in traffic. You’ll need to create demand.

What does that mean?

• Rank high on Google Maps and local searches
• Collect positive reviews—early and often
• Activate food influencers and online PR
• Make delivery a serious revenue channel

If location doesn’t do the talking, your execution has to.

Your online presence becomes your shopfront.

🧠 So Which Game Are You Playing?

Here’s how I’d summarise the two models:

There’s no right or wrong answer.

Both spaces can work.

Both strategies can work.

But you need to know which game you’re in—and plan accordingly.

🛠 Two Levers That Help in Both Scenarios

Regardless of rent, two things consistently give restaurants an edge:

1. Delivery and Takeaway = Seats Beyond Your Walls

Your rent buys you a physical footprint.

But your kitchen has capacity beyond those walls.

Lunch starts at 12pm—but online orders come in earlier.

Most prep happens 11:00–11:30am, before peak dining begins.

Smart operators use delivery to:

• Extend kitchen output
• Fill idle time
• Spread rent across more revenue

You can’t increase your square footage, but you can increase your output.

2. Data = Your Engine for Repeat Visits

Whether you’re visible or hidden, you need return customers.

That’s where data comes in:

• Collect emails and phone numbers
• Automate remarketing (reminders, promos, vouchers)
• Convert one-time diners into regulars

We’ve seen this across 5,000+ restaurants:

The larger and more active your database, the easier it is to hit your cover targets—consistently.

Don’t rely on footfall.

Build your own traffic.

💬 Final Thought: You Can’t Complain About Rent if You Don’t Know the Game

Most restaurant owners talk about location, location, location.

But what they really need is:

• Clarity on their revenue requirements
• A plan to get there
• And tools that stretch every dollar of rent into maximum revenue

Whether you're in a mall or a side street, the rule stays the same:

Make back your rent in 5 days—and you’re in a position to win.