HungryGoWhere resumes operations after Grab buys, relaunches F&B site

SINGAPORE: Almost a year after ceasing operations, food and beverage portal HungryGoWhere is back.

HungryGoWhere, which went offline in July last year after operating for 15 years, has been bought and relaunched by Grab Singapore.

The new HungryGoWhere - which will retain its name and iconic red hue - will focus on reviews and recommendations, and highlighting up-and-coming personalities and origins of popular foods, said Grab in a media release on Wednesday (Jun 15).

The site aims to be the "go-to source" for diners seeking F&B news in Singapore and a platform for businesses to increase their visibility, Grab added.

“HungryGoWhere is a brand that many Singaporeans have grown to love since its inception more than a decade ago and many were sad to see it go," said Mr Cifer Ong, managing director of strategy and partnerships at Grab Singapore.

"We feel privileged and excited to be bringing back its longstanding legacy, while aiming to take it to the next level with this rebrand."

The new HungryGoWhere will tap on Grab’s superapp data, such as popular food trends and frequently visited places in Singapore. This will be used by HungryGoWhere "to inform its curation of content", said Grab.

Relevant HungryGoWhere stories will also be shared on the Grab app and on Grab’s marketing channels.

The acquisition and relaunch include HungryGoWhere's social media channels.

THE OLD HUNGRYGOWHERE

Founded in 2006 by Mr Wong Hoong An, Mr Dennis Goh and Mr Tan Yung Yih, HungryGoWhere gained popularity as a food review site, and grew to offer restaurant reservations, dining deals, dining rewards, and articles on food and drinks in Singapore.

HungryGoWhere’s parent company GTW Holdings was acquired for S$12 million by Singtel in May 2012 with the telco aiming “to re-shape culinary experiences across Asia”.

In the month of its acquisition, HungryGoWhere had 4.1 million page views, and this had doubled to 8.2 million page views by May 2014, according to a TODAY report in October 2014.

HungryGoWhere’s operations were merged with Singtel’s lifestyle and search site inSing.com, “creating an audience of 2 million customers - the largest food and lifestyle audience in Singapore”, the telco said at the time.

HungryGoWhere ceased operations on Jul 11, 2021, because of "severe challenges" faced in the industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the telco said at the time.

inSing.com ceased operations in 2019, with its last post on Facebook dated Aug 26 that year.