NUS Graduate Runs Hawker Stall Selling S$2.50 Dishes So Rental Flat Residents Can Afford Meals

Hawker Prices Food At S$2.50 To Keep Them Affordable For Residents

Amid the inflation, many store owners have increased their prices in order to sustain their businesses.

One hawker stall, however, has done the opposite by lowering its prices.

40-year-old hawker Ms Hani Isnin and her family lowered the prices of most of their food to S$2.50 in Nov 2022.

They did so to keep their food affordable for customers, most of whom are residents of rental flats nearby.

Hawker lowers prices of food to S$2.50 so residents can afford it

In an interview with Malay-language newspaper Berita Harian (BH), Ms Hani shared that her family started the S$2.50 initiative at their hawker stall after coming across multiple residents from rental flats who could not afford their meals.

She recounted a customer holding out a two-dollar note and asking what they could buy with that money as that was all they had at the time.

Her family’s stall, located in Jalan Kukoh Food Centre, is apparently often patronised by elderly and customers who came from disadvantaged families.

This prompted the family to lower the prices of most of their food items, such as nasi lemak, mee rebus and lontong, which initially cost around S$3 to S$4.50 each.

Since November last year, most of their food have been priced at an affordable S$2.50 each.

The family later renamed their shop to ‘The $2.50 Shop’ to reflect their prices.

Ms Hani shared that the family’s decision to lower their prices amidst inflationary pressures was met with scepticism and doubt. Nevertheless, they were determined to ensure their food was accessible to all.

In order to keep prices at this level, Ms Hani shared that they operate daily without breaks, with the exception of certain holidays like Hari Raya.

Additionally, they open their stall for longer hours each day, starting preparation at about 1.30am so they can open at about 3.30am.

Hawker gave up corporate job to pursue passion in cooking

What makes their effort more impressive is probably the fact that Ms Hani chose to be a hawker over a corporate worker.

According to BH, she holds degrees in Law and Economics from the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Ms Hani apparently worked in a corporate job for just two months before quitting to pursue her interest in cooking. She started off running a food stall at Queensway Secondary School, before later joining her parents at their business, which they started in 2020.

Her decision to leave her corporate job drew disapproval from many people, including her parents. Nevertheless, they have come to accept it, seeing that she is happy working as a hawker.

Ms Hani admitted that being a hawker is not easy. However, it has brought her happiness and satisfaction that she could not attain in a corporate career.

In spite of the challenges, Ms Hani revealed that she feels more determined to continue running the stall after seeing the smiles on customers’ faces when they learn that they have enough to pay for their food.

She told BH,

I am determined to help as many people as possible, and hope the few cents we cut from our prices can help to make life easier for those who are less fortunate.

Hopes stall will feel like family to patrons

Ms Hani explained to BH that she and her family see the stall as part of a community.

Sharing her hopes that it will feel like a family to patrons, Ms Hani revealed that she wanted the stall to become a place customers could approach in times of difficulty.

Seeing Ms Hani and her family’s commitment to keeping food affordable for the needy is certainly inspiring.

If you’d like to visit the stall, here’s how you can find it:

Traditional Malay Muslim Cuisine -The $2.50 Shop
Address: #01-16 Jalan Kukoh Food Centre, 1 Jln Kukoh, Singapore 161001
Opening hours: 3.30am-2.30pm daily
Nearest MRT: Chinatown Station

Knowing the good impact the stall has on its direct community, we hope that the business will prosper so more customers can benefit.

Kudos to Ms Hani and her family for their compassion.

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Featured image adapted from Berita Harian and Berita Harian on Facebook.