Local actor and entrepreneur Ben Yeo has shuttered his Toa Payoh fish soup stall, Tan Xiang Sliced Fish Soup, less than a year after its opening.
A photo of the stall surfaced on the Toa Payoh Makan Places Facebook page on Wednesday (3 July), spreading the news of its closure.
Source: Facebook
The post has since garnered over 200 comments, with some netizens expressing their disappointment.
Source: Facebook
Others speculated that challenges such as labour costs and rent may have contributed to the closure.
Source: Facebook
Speaking to MS News, Yeo explained that the main issue at the Toa Payoh store was a lack of manpower.
To make things easier to manage, he decided to move Tan Xiang Sliced Fish Soup to Kallang Food Centre, where he has another stall, Tan Xiang Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat Restaurant.
Source: @charcoalfishheadsteamboat on Instagram
Patrons can find the fish soup stall at his kopitiam in Chai Chee, too.
Yeo added that the Toa Payoh stall was initially a pop-up concept.
He had rented the space from a business partner who previously used it to sell mixed rice.
The Facebook post about Tan Xiang Sliced Fish Soup’s closure also attracted comments lambasting the high prices and meagre portions.
Tackling these accusations head-on in an interview with Shin Min Daily News, Yeo said: “We are actually quite transparent — you get what you pay for.”
“Most of the time, customers only focus on the price without considering the quality of ingredients,” he elaborated. “When you compare our ingredients and portions, our prices are actually quite reasonable.”
Source: @tanxiangfishsoup on Instagram
According to Shin Min Daily News, prices for fish soup start at S$6, with an additional 80 cents for noodles or rice.
Besides Kallang and Chai Chee, Yeo has another Tan Xiang Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat branch in Woodlands, along with a modern Cantonese restaurant, Tan Xiang Yuan, at Jalan Besar.
As for future F&B expansion plans, Yeo admitted that he is very tired and intends to take a break for now.
He reassured MS News that he isn’t upset over the closure of the Toa Payoh stall. In fact, he feels less stressed now.
Also read: Ben Yeo spends S$80K on air-conditioned toilets at newly-opened kopitiam in Chai Chee
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Featured image adapted from @tanxiangfishsoup on Instagram and Toa Payoh Makan Places on Facebook.
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