Commentary: Singaporeans’ reluctance to pay more for hawker food is endangering the trade

[Tkseah]

On 2/7/2025 at 9:52 PM, Ender said:

I have been with a local Fried Hokkien Mee(FHM) Facebook group. I found out there are  quite a few good gen Z FHM hawkers around. Gen Z FHM has their unique signature, i.e more wet and strong unami. Tried a few and they are really good. Just hope they can survive, and that the recommendation from the FB group are helping.

Thought FHM is this...

[Jamesc]

Simi BS Singaporeans’ reluctance to pay more for hawker food is endangering the trade?

I see people queuing up to handover their money to hawkers.

On 2/7/2025 at 9:44 PM, Jellandross said:

SG is backward and unproductive because presidential candidate must wait in long queue.

 

 

 

[Victor68]

On 2/7/2025 at 8:36 PM, Ahwhye said:

you talking about scenario in some utopia? here is sinkapore lah!

So the problem is hawkers want to make more money that is why their price is equivalent to Food court or they don't know how to manage? 

[Ahwhye]

On 2/11/2025 at 3:30 PM, Victor68 said:

So the problem is hawkers want to make more money that is why their price is equivalent to Food court or they don't know how to manage? 

wait let me recap what you have said

Quote

The reasons why people don't want to be hawker is because of the income is low and hours are long. The first thing is to provide low rental stall but such stall must be operated by the approved hawker and strictly no sub let. Each stall can he occupied by 2 hawkers operating 2 shifts. If they can ear a decent living being hawker, then there is no need to work long hours. Like office workers, they can have the weekly day off and fixed operating hours. I hope hawker center culture will continue here. 

1.  provide low rental stall... ahgong already said not wrong to collect more money, low rental means somehow someone got to subsidise.

2.  2 operators in 2 shifts... how that can work out? one day only got 3 meaningful periods that hawkers can make money, breakfast, lunch and dinner. factor in time need to prepare, time need to clean up, hand over sui sui, utility bill how to split, utensils food storage who sell what from what time to what time etc etc, a little bit thing is enough to trigger a nightmare liao lah.

3.  decent earning + no long hours + price low low....errr how does these add up? if can I also want.

4.  day off + fixed working hour... if can, dream job for every one lah.

[Sturtles]

On 2/11/2025 at 6:46 PM, Ahwhye said:

wait let me recap what you have said

1.  provide low rental stall... ahgong already said not wrong to collect more money, low rental means somehow someone got to subsidise.

2.  2 operators in 2 shifts... how that can work out? one day only got 3 meaningful periods that hawkers can make money, breakfast, lunch and dinner. factor in time need to prepare, time need to clean up, hand over sui sui, utility bill how to split, utensils food storage who sell what from what time to what time etc etc, a little bit thing is enough to trigger a nightmare liao lah.

3.  decent earning + no long hours + price low low....errr how does these add up? if can I also want.

4.  day off + fixed working hour... if can, dream job for every one lah.

 

For scholars, they already have these solutions at the back of their minds, but there are "other" considerations at play to prevent it from being implemented at sandbox level.

 

[Jman888]

not easy money for hawkers, many pian jiak dun see customers coming back, also many gave up too early before they see the light at the end, lack patience when seeing everyone making quick money from bitcoin?

[Victor68]

On 2/11/2025 at 6:46 PM, Ahwhye said:

wait let me recap what you have said

1.  provide low rental stall... ahgong already said not wrong to collect more money, low rental means somehow someone got to subsidise.

2.  2 operators in 2 shifts... how that can work out? one day only got 3 meaningful periods that hawkers can make money, breakfast, lunch and dinner. factor in time need to prepare, time need to clean up, hand over sui sui, utility bill how to split, utensils food storage who sell what from what time to what time etc etc, a little bit thing is enough to trigger a nightmare liao lah.

3.  decent earning + no long hours + price low low....errr how does these add up? if can I also want.

4.  day off + fixed working hour... if can, dream job for every one lah.

With limited work force, hawker centre is a good option for families to enjoy a decent healthy meal while they focus on their job. 

1) government subsidies on rent to ensure hawker survival is acceptable as long as it is not for investment like HDB. Stick to the basic of providing an avenue for would be hawker to do their biz. 

2) many current stalls are working on shifts, some having different trades. Not a must but if each operator can make enough to meet their living, it is another career.

3) day off mean like 2 above, they treat this as a job.  Sustainable career. 

I just hope hawker can be a career for those who wish to be one and have a decent job. If we pile up the rent, then the landlord is the one benefiting from hawkers. 

[Ahwhye]

On 2/11/2025 at 8:27 PM, Jman888 said:

not easy money for hawkers, many pian jiak dun see customers coming back, also many gave up too early before they see the light at the end, lack patience when seeing everyone making quick money from bitcoin?

many are not exactly lack of patience, but lack of business and/or running at a loss, how many can tahan for long, esp if got family to feed....

[Ahwhye]

On 2/12/2025 at 8:06 AM, Victor68 said:

With limited work force, hawker centre is a good option for families to enjoy a decent healthy meal while they focus on their job. 

1) government subsidies on rent to ensure hawker survival is acceptable as long as it is not for investment like HDB. Stick to the basic of providing an avenue for would be hawker to do their biz. 

2) many current stalls are working on shifts, some having different trades. Not a must but if each operator can make enough to meet their living, it is another career.

3) day off mean like 2 above, they treat this as a job.  Sustainable career. 

I just hope hawker can be a career for those who wish to be one and have a decent job. If we pile up the rent, then the landlord is the one benefiting from hawkers. 

I just want to say, we aren't living in a perfect sinkaporlah....

[Victor68]

On 2/12/2025 at 11:13 AM, Ahwhye said:

I just want to say, we aren't living in a perfect sinkaporlah....

True but we should strive towards a better tomorrow for our next generations 

[Jellandross]

Anyone know this nasi lemak good or not?

 

 

[Stratovarius]

On 2/8/2025 at 10:09 AM, Tkseah said:

Thought FHM is this...

yeah. Gen Z FHM is more wet. 

[Stratovarius]

On 3/10/2025 at 3:32 PM, Jellandross said:

Anyone know this nasi lemak good or not?

 

 

the wife's expression is like sianz 1/2. lol.

the nasi lemak there so so. Food there are more expensive than other hawkers. 

[Dafansu]

On 3/10/2025 at 3:32 PM, Jellandross said:

Anyone know this nasi lemak good or not?

 

 

They started with this stall I think, after that franchise out, now got 20 over stalls island wide if I'm not wrong. So got some form of standard. 

[Dafansu]

On 3/10/2025 at 3:50 PM, Stratovarius said:

the wife's expression is like sianz 1/2. lol.

the nasi lemak there so so. Food there are more expensive than other hawkers. 

The husband purposely took this photo, should be done purposely to show some form of displeasure. Go read his Facebook post, don't really like his style. 

[Lala81]

On 3/10/2025 at 3:32 PM, Jellandross said:

Anyone know this nasi lemak good or not?

 

 

ayam taliwang.

I think their standard nasi lemak is maybe just a 6/10. But they also have an indonesian style grilled signature chicken which is more popular among the malays (I've not tried as got waiting time usually). 

Their chilli is the less sweet type. 

Edited March 10 by Lala81

[Jellandross]

Rental is not a big part of hawker expenses.

Working at old age is to exercise stay fit.

 

 

 

Edited March 10 by Jellandross

[Victor68]

I fully agree that hawker center stall should never be sublease to another operator. It is not a investment property for the rich to push prices beyond hawkers. Otherwise please build more food court or kopitiam instead of hawker centers. Keep the rent low.