SINGAPORE: Singaporeans are not, if anything, dispassionate about our food. We go into a social media frenzy when other countries claimWe are willing to spend an inordinate amount of time in food queues just to satisfy our palates.
The dilemma for these traditional restauranteurs whether to continue the business is further complicated by the extremely challenging landscape quite unlike what they had experienced when they took over from their fathers in the 60s and 70s. In its simplest terms, succession can take three forms: First, it can take the happy outcome of ownership and management remaining in the hands of the family when the next generation are willingSecond, proprietors can employ professionals to run the daily operations while ownership and major decision-making remain in the family.
Expansion, for them, ought to focus on an elevation of their menu rather than the increase in the number of outlets. The way forward if the business is to feed another generation is to take a leaf out of the books of those who’ve made a name from themselves as food entrepreneurs – or foodpreneurs.xiao long bao,
Across their 150 outlets in 15 countries, Din Tai Fung is instantly recognisable with its glass-encased kitchens with chefs busily doling out the dumplings and other items on the menu almost by muscle memory. But all this clockwork precision takes effort. Owner Yang Chi-hua, the founder’s son, keeps tabs on operations by holding court in video conferences with branch managers daily.Yang is of the rare breed of chef and businessman rolled into one.
Known as the King of Food Courts, Quek introduced Singaporeans to themed food courts in 1992 with Food Junction and has since fed the food fancies of Singaporeans with another food court, Food Republic, local coffeeshop chain Toast Box and of course, the company’s eponymous bakery, BreadTalk.