The area between Koek Road and Cuppage Road was once the site of Orchard Road’s first market established in 1880 by lawyer and Municipal Commissioner Edwin Koek. In 1890, the market was acquired by the government and rebuilt as Orchard Road Municipal Market. It sold fresh produce and was well-patronised by residents of the nearby Emerald Hill.
There were also hawker stalls along Koek Road which sold local favourites such as char kway teow (stir-fried flat noodles), sup kambing (mutton soup) and satay beehoon (vermicelli in satay sauce). In 1966, these hawkers were relocated to an open space facing the present Centrepoint, known as Glutton’s Square (now Orchard Central). This space served as a carpark in the day and transformed into a bustling open-air hawker centre in the evening.
During 1977-78, the hawkers of Glutton’s Square were relocated to sheltered food centres at Newton Circus and Cuppage Centre due to hygiene concerns. Around the same time, on the other side of Orchard Road, the Orchard Road Municipal Market made way for Orchard Point shopping centre.
