The Black Hole Group
The Black Hole Group is a Singapore-based independent F&B collective founded in 2012, operating 11+ restaurant concepts (TIPO, Éla, The Mad Sailors, Small Batch) plus catering (The Granary) and a cross-brand loyalty program, serving both individual diners and enterprise clients across multiple industries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersSingapore, Singapore
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Black Hole Group does
The Black Hole Group is a privately held Singapore-headquartered F&B and hospitality collective founded in 2012 by Mustaffa Kamal and Calvin Seah. What began as a boutique hostel evolved into a multi-concept restaurant portfolio operating 11+ venues across Singapore under distinct brand names including TIPO Pasta Bar, TIPO Strada, Small Batch, Éla, The Mad Sailors, Afterwit, The Great Mischief, Tipo Pizzeria, Tipo Osteria, Tipo Gnocchi, Stack, The Co-op, Santap, and Working Title. The concepts span Italian, Greek, and casual-dining formats, with venues concentrated in prime locations such as Orchard Road (Wheelock Place), Keong Saik, Novena, Great World, Botanic Gardens, and Jalan Sultan, plus suburban entry at Bukit Batok.
The group derives revenue from three streams: dine-in food and beverage sales across its restaurant concepts; off-premise catering and event services under The Granary brand (buffet, desserts, canapés, DIY and live stations) out of a dedicated Rochdale Road operations site; and a loyalty rewards program called The Black Hole Rewards (TBHR), which launched in 2021 with tiered points earning (Basic: SGD 1 = 1 point; Black: SGD 1 = 1.2 points) and is currently being rebuilt. Marketing and reservations run through the corporate website (theblackhole.sg), third-party platforms Chope and Book Chope, and earned media in Straits Times, CNA, Tatler Asia, and Time Out. The corporate client base for catering spans at least 14 industries and includes HSBC, Pfizer, AWS, Airbnb, Netflix, McKinsey, Shell, UOB, Lazada, SK-II, SingHealth, HDB, and Volkswagen. Core technology is limited to standard restaurant operations and third-party reservation platforms; the group has no disclosed proprietary software, AI/ML capabilities, or patents. Talent is sourced partly through partnerships with At-Sunrice Academy and HCSA Academy.
The Black Hole Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Black Hole Group
- Legal name
- The Black Hole Group
- Website
- https://theblackhole.sg
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Black Hole Group is a Singapore-based independent F&B collective founded in 2012, operating 11+ restaurant concepts (TIPO, Éla, The Mad Sailors, Small Batch) plus catering (The Granary) and a cross-brand loyalty program, serving both individual diners and enterprise clients across multiple industries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Black Hole Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Restaurant Management
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- F&B Experiences & Group Dining (Restaurant Buyouts, Tastings, Catering Coordination) (THAHADAI)
Keywords
Where The Black Hole Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Singapore
- HQ country
- Singapore
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices11 records
Markets served
The Black Hole Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Food and Beverage Sales: Revenue generated from multiple restaurant concepts including TIPO Pasta Bar, TIPO Strada, Small Batch, Éla, The Mad Sailors, and others. Customers dine in at various locations across Singapore.
- Catering Services: Event catering services under The Granary brand, offering buffet, desserts, canapés, DIY or live station options for corporate and private events.
- Loyalty Rewards Program: Black Hole Rewards (TBHR) program launched in 2021, offering unique experiences and savings for diners. Currently undergoing system refresh to enhance customer engagement.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Basic membership tier with standard point earning rate |
| Other | Monthly | Black membership tier with enhanced point earning rate |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
The Black Hole Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Black Hole Group operates a portfolio of restaurant concepts in Singapore, including TIPO Pasta Bar, TIPO Strada, Small Batch, Éla, and The Mad Sailors. The group also provides catering and private event services and operates a customer loyalty rewards program.
Product overview
The Black Hole Group is an independent F&B (food and beverage) hospitality outfit in Singapore comprising multiple distinct restaurant concepts and service offerings. The portfolio includes TIPO Pasta Bar (Aliwal, Waterloo), TIPO Strada (Keong Saik, Novena, Wheelock, Great World, Hamilton), Small Batch at Botanic Gardens, Éla (Jalan Sultan, Bukit Batok) serving Greek cuisine, The Mad Sailors offering halal fish and chips, and The Granary for catering services. The group also operates a loyalty program called The Black Hole Rewards (TBHR). The concepts are primarily Italian and Greek restaurants, with catering and event services complementing the dining brands. The company started as a boutique hostel in 2012 and expanded into the culinary/hospitality industry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use The Black Hole Group
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Black Hole Group technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Black Hole Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Reaching All Sectors (RAS)minorCommunity partnership organization. The Black Hole Group shows support for social causes through partnerships with community organizations.
- Yellow Ribbon SingaporeminorSocial reintegration initiative for ex-offenders. The Black Hole Group supports Yellow Ribbon's mission.
- Jamiyah SingaporeminorIslamic organization providing social services. The Black Hole Group maintains partnership for community engagement.
- FLA SingaporeminorFamily Life Agency engaged in social services. Partnership reflects company's community involvement.
- Admiralty Community Sports ClubminorCommunity sports club partnership for local community engagement.
- At-Sunrice AcademyminorCulinary academy partnership, potentially for talent development and training in the hospitality industry.
- HCSA AcademyminorHospitality industry training academy, possibly related to staff development and skills training.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Black Hole Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Jumbo Group: Listed Singapore seafood-focused restaurant group operating multiple dining brands (Jumbo Seafood, Zui Teochew, Ng Ah Sio, Chao Ting). Comparable in operating multiple restaurant concepts within Singapore and regionally.
- Paradise Group: Singapore-based multi-cuisine restaurant operator with brands spanning Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean and Western concepts across Singapore and Asia. Comparable in operating multiple restaurant concepts under one corporate umbrella in Singapore.
- Crystal Jade: Established Singapore restaurant group with a multi-brand portfolio of Chinese and Asian dining concepts including full-service, casual and catering formats. Comparable in multi-brand Singapore F&B operations and integrated catering capability.
- Tung Lok Group: Long-standing Singapore restaurant group operating multiple Chinese, Asian and international dining brands across the city and region. Comparable as a multi-brand Singapore F&B operator, but at a significantly larger scale with listed-company financing.
- Les Amis Group: Pioneering Singapore restaurant group encompassing fine dining, casual, and catering concepts (Les Amis, Brasserie Les Amis, Iggy's, La Taperia, etc.). Comparable as a multi-concept Singapore F&B operator with a strong catering and events business.
Direct peers
- Privé Group: Singapore lifestyle hospitality operator running restaurant, bar and event concepts (Privé Grill, The Summerhouse, The Loquat). Comparable as an independent Singapore multi-concept hospitality group serving both dine-in and events.
- The Lo & Behold Group: Singapore hospitality group operating hotels, restaurants and event venues (The Warehouse Hotel, Odette, 21 Carpenter, The Lo & Behold Events). Comparable as a multi-format Singapore lifestyle hospitality operator with an events/catering adjacency.
- Spa Esprit Group: Singapore-based lifestyle and F&B collective operating multiple distinct restaurant and bar concepts (Open Farm Community, Tippling Club, Skai, etc.). Closest comparable to The Black Hole Group as a privately held, founder-led multi-brand hospitality operator in the same city.
- Commonwealth Concepts: Singapore independent restaurant group operating a curated portfolio of chef-driven concepts including The Coconut Club, Chatterbox, and other lifestyle dining brands. Comparable as an independent multi-concept Singapore F&B operator.
Emerging players
- Union Square Hospitality Group: US-based multi-concept restaurant group (Danny Meyer's) operating Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Shake Shack and catering (Hospitality Quotient). Comparable as a model for how a multi-brand F&B group with a strong catering/loyalty layer can scale, though operating in a different geography.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Black Hole Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Black Hole Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Black Hole Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Black Hole Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries16 records
The Black Hole Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Black Hole Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Black Hole Group
What does The Black Hole Group do?
The Black Hole Group operates a portfolio of restaurant concepts in Singapore, including TIPO Pasta Bar, TIPO Strada, Small Batch, Éla, and The Mad Sailors. The group also provides catering and private event services and operates a customer loyalty rewards program.
Is The Black Hole Group a public or private company?
The Black Hole Group is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Black Hole Group founded?
The Black Hole Group was founded in 2012. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Black Hole Group based?
The Black Hole Group is headquartered in Singapore, Singapore, in the Asia region.
How does The Black Hole Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Food and Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are catering Services and loyalty Rewards Program.
Who are The Black Hole Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Jumbo Group, Paradise Group, Crystal Jade, Tung Lok Group and Les Amis Group. Direct peers are Privé Group, The Lo & Behold Group, Spa Esprit Group and Commonwealth Concepts. Union Square Hospitality Group is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Black Hole Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Black Hole Group.
What industry is The Black Hole Group in?
The Black Hole Group's product category is Restaurant Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAA, Fine Dining Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAHADAI, F&B Experiences & Group Dining (Restaurant Buyouts, Tastings, Catering Coordination). Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.