On juggling his studies and a hawker stall
Starting What The Puff! was Yuan Ming’s way of taking a risk before the pressures of post-graduation life set in. “During these four years, I want to try and start something because after graduation, the pressure to play it safe will be greater,” he explains.
When the stall opened in December, Yuan Ming was on a break, allowing him to work there daily. Now that school has resumed, he has scheduled his classes from Monday to Wednesday, leaving the rest of the week free for the stall – whether it’s manning it in person, crunching numbers for the accounts, or handling other backend operations.

Despite the hustle, Yuan Ming insists he’s managing the workload just fine. Years of helping out at his parents’ stall have made these tasks second nature to him. “I’ve been doing similar things for them, so it feels manageable,” he says.
His partners understand his academic commitments. Brandon splits his time between their parents’ Teochew porridge stall and What The Puff!, handling procurement and liaising with suppliers, while Chin Jie and an assistant take the lead on daily operations at the curry puff stall.
We asked Yuan Ming if his parents prefer him to concentrate on his studies. “They have a very open mindset. My dad asked if I really wanted to go to university – he encouraged me to just do F&B. He believes that as long as your food is good, you can make it,” Yuan Ming shares with a laugh.