“No Rest Days, No Holidays”: Bak Chor Mee Hawker Says He Understands Why His Kids Declined To Take Over His Stall
Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle is a beloved hawker stall that has consistently attracted long queues for its bak chor mee, despite having shifted twice since opening in 1985. But the stall has always remained in the Toa Payoh neighbourhood, and is run by its founder Lee Hwee Peng, 63, along with his siblings and nieces.
Hwee Peng and his family recently announced on Facebook that they are planning to sell off their business, stating: “After 37 years of serving our loyal customers, we have decided to pass the torch to new owners who are equally as passionate [about] serving our customers. We thank everyone who has joined us in this journey.”
The towkay tells 8days.sg that everyone came to the decision after a recent family meeting. “Simply put, [my siblings and I] are getting too old. We can’t cope with the amount of work and long hours, and it’s too busy [for us to handle any longer]. We’ve worked for so many years, so it’s enough already now. Time to stop before we get too old,” says Hwee Peng.
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Next generation not keen to take over
Similar to family-run China Street Fritters in Maxwell Food Centre, Lai Heng’s hawkers (pictured above) are selling off their recipes as they’re facing a succession problem. Hwee Peng’s two nieces, who currently work at the stall, do not wish to carry on the business after the old-timers retire. They found the job tiring, as the physical labour causes body aches and pain. And his two daughters, who both currently work in HR-related office jobs and have their own families, are not interested in taking over too.
The veteran hawker understands their reluctance to join the grueling biz. “Being a hawker really isn’t easy. It’s very, very hard. You have to work a minimum of 14 to 15 hours a day, including preparation and cleaning,” he says, rattling off a Hokkien proverb that translates to “no rest days, no weekends, no holidays, wake up early and sleep very late”.
Asking price of $500k for family recipes
Another result of that family meeting was the hawkers’ asking price — an even $500k for their recipes and the entirety of their brand (the family does not want any share in the business after selling it). Hwee Peng declines to go into any financial details leading to that price, only sharing that it’s a figure based on “their continuing good business in Toa Payoh for more than 37 years”.
He also declines to reveal the exact number of offers he’s received thus far, but he lets on that “negotiations are ongoing” with an interested buyer. But, like Tiong Bahru Galicier Pastry’s boss, he is adamant that he wants to properly retire without any further involvement in the stall. “At our age, if [the buyer] asks us to open outlets together with them, that’s even more stressful. We don’t plan to get into that arrangement. Once we teach them our secret recipes and how to cook, where they want to open, how many they want to open, is up to them. It’s time for us to let go,” he says decisively.
Stall will remain open even if there are no buyers
As Hwee Peng’s family has not set a deadline to sell their stall, Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle will remain open under their care for the near future even if a potential sale falls through. He says: “But it will be a headache lor. [My family will] discuss it again and see how. We’ll continue to try and sell the business, but we’ll scale down our operations too. Maybe we will open for shorter hours, or just a few days a week so that my siblings can take turns to get some rest.”
Lai Heng Minced Meat Noodle is at #01-611 Blk 73, Lor 4 Toa Payoh, S310073. Tel: 9620-2074. Open daily except Wed 8am – 4pm. More info via Facebook.
Photos: Lai Heng Minced Meat Noodle, Pornsak Soi
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
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