Affordable lunch option disappears

White-collar workers were forced to hunt for other affordable places to buy lunch along Nanjing Road West Monday, when Singaporean food franchise Food Republic at Westgate Mall was closed after 15 years of operations.

The food franchise that provided fast meals to office workers in the area was forced to shut its doors after its lease ended and the property developer of the mall decided to venture towards more upscale eateries, in keeping with the developing theme of the high-end commercial street. Japanese brand Isetan, which already occupies a spot in the Westgate Mall, has secured a deal to expand by setting up a fancy food court by the end of the year.

The move has left Food Republic pondering other locations in the city, with loose plans to introduce affordable food choices to patrons, perhaps on Shaanxi Road South in the next couple of years, said Lu Yang, senior brand manager of Food Republic Shanghai.

He added that the company will also take the opportunity to improve their quality and store environment at its remaining seven locations in the city - after entering Shanghai in 1997 - with the hopes of pandering to more mealtime needs of local employees satisfied with chain's lunch sets that typically hover around 20 yuan ($3).

Still, the business decision at its Westgate Mall location, based on the "rearrangement of Food Republic's Shanghai strategy" has disappointed some 4,000 office employees working near Nanjing Road West, who have frequented the food court during the week in search of affordable meals.

Customers still showed up for lunch Monday, many in disbelief.

"It offered tasty meals," a male office worker, who asked only to be identified as Li and works just steps away from Westgate Mall, told the Global Times Monday. "I have no idea where to eat now; most places around here are just too expensive."

Lu from Food Republic said Monday, meanwhile, that its prepaid card which allows customers to conveniently swipe to pay, can still be used at other locations in the city, or be returned for a cash refund on the remaining funds.