As hawker owners age, we’re starting to see many of them unable to keep their stalls going for various reasons. Most of the time, their children or younger relatives do not wish to take over.
However, determined to keep the business alive, these hawkers hope to sell their recipes so they can finally enjoy their well-deserved retirement.
One of them, the boss of Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Mee at Block 73 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, is looking to sell his secret recipes for S$500,000.
Anyone who’s interested in carrying on the 37-year-old stall’s legacy can contact the owner for more details.
Lai Heng is run by 63-year-old Lee Hwee Peng and consistently draws long queues. Various family members, including Mr Lee’s nieces, help to run the stall as well.
Source: Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Mee on Facebook
Now that the owner and his family members would like to rest, they are hoping to find someone to take over the biz and are selling the brand and their recipes for S$500,000.
They came to this decision after a recent family meeting, deciding that they’re unable to work for much longer.
49-year-old Zheng Lishan, Mr Lee’s niece, told Shin Min Daily News that her uncle suffers from kidney and heart problems. As a result, he is only able to work two to three hours a day.
However, she and her cousin are not interested in taking over the stall. According to 8 DAYS, both of Mr Lee’s own daughters have office jobs and aren’t keen on taking over either.
Ms Zheng also has health problems and needs medication due to inflammation in her wrist and shoulders, Shin Min Daily News reports. Other family members suffer from various physical ailments too.
Source: Google Maps
Although she’s reluctant to leave the stall to other people, she feels that putting everyone’s health first is more important.
Since the original appeal on 3 Jul, Lai Heng has yet to find a suitable successor.
Mr Lee previously told 8 DAYS that Lai Heng will remain open until the stall is sold, though they may have to scale down the business.
So if you’d like to head down to Lai Heng before any new owners take the reins, here’s how you can get there:
Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Mee
Address: Blk 73 Toa Payoh Lorong 4 #01-611 Singapore 310073
Opening hours: 8am to 4pm, closed every Wednesday
Nearest MRT: Toa Payoh station
As many people frequent the popular stall, the hope is that someone will be able to take over the business and continue serving up the food that everyone loves.
While the steep price may be a sticking point, something’s clearly working very well for Mr Lee, so his recipes may very well be worth that amount.
Those who are keen on purchasing the recipes and taking over the stall may contact the number in this Facebook post.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Facebook.
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