Hawker couple struggle to keep stall alive but cannot retire
Teck Hin Fishball Noodle stall started at 46 Holland Drive in 1975.
In 2012, the stall moved to 443 Clementi Avenue 3.
Seven years later, it moved again to Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre.
On Dec 6 last year, Mr Chen Huoyan and Madam Wang Yafu was supposed to have shuttered that stall as they struggled to make enough to cover their costs, which amounted to more than $4,000 every month.
But Mr Chen, 76, and his 70-year-old wife managed to hold out till end-March this year before moving to the coffee shop at 117 Commonwealth Drive.
They operated under the signage of the previous owner 16 Storey Fishball Noodles and utilised the equipment left behind but business was bad and they barely broke even.
The couple moved again July, taking their fishball noodle business to a coffee shop in Yishun – only to close down on Aug 31 due to a disagreement with the landlord over rent.
But Mr Chen and Madam Wang are not giving up. They are still in the midst of securing their next stall.
"My parents do not have savings, they have nothing to survive on, so they have to keep working," Mrs Eugenia Lim told TNP.
When asked if her parents ever thought of moving their fishball business to home-based, the 46-year-old home-based baker explained that the sunk cost would be high and there is also the issue of space.
"Making fishballs and the type of food my parents sell require more preparations and space. I use my kitchen for my own baking," she shared.
Mr Chen and Madam Wang are using this downtime to rest while looking at possible venues for their stall.
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