This man quit his corporate job to start a business, but his plans took a different turn after his dad got into an accident last month.
Alvan Poa decided to take over his father’s yong tau foo stall in Jurong West and keep it running.
The 33-year-old shared a glimpse of his new life as a hawker in a TikTok clip on Thursday (Jan 5), showing some of his responsibilities such as waking up at 4am to prepare for the stall’s opening three hours later.
Before taking up the reins at Hock Kee Yong Tau Foo, he was an accounts manager in advertising.
While people around him were quick to celebrate his new status as a towkay (business owner), all Alvan could reflect on was how hard his father had worked in the past two decades.
“I saw a different side to my dad and his effort to provide for his family,” he wrote in the video. “Day in, day out, without fail for 20 years.”
Speaking to AsiaOne on Friday, Alvan shared that his father was involved in a motorboat collision in Johor on Dec 3 and was admitted to a hospital there.
“He had multiple open arm fractures, lacerations on his face and some internal bleeding from the accident,” Alvan said. This affected his dad’s control over four fingers, as well as his left arm.
Alvan, who was overseas when this happened, returned to Singapore on Dec 15.
His dad has since been transferred to National University Hospital and is receiving treatment for his injuries.
‘It chose me’
While waiting for his father to recover, Alvan decided to help out at the stall, explaining that he is the only one who can help as everyone else in his family have jobs to go back to.
With the business running for two decades, some would think that Alvan has helped out at his dad’s stall but he said it’s his first time doing so.
“Before the accident, I had jokingly asked my dad to teach me the ropes so I can make the stall more efficient.
“But since then, it was like the role chose me more than me wanting to take over (the business),” Alvan told AsiaOne.
In the past, his father did not want him to help out due to the long hours and labour-intensive work that goes into running a yong tau foo stall.
However, Alvan understands that the yong tau foo stall is very dear to his dad because his late brother handed it over to him.
“It has been my dad’s pride for the past 25 years. I don’t think he would want me to just close the shop – it would crush him,” Alvan said.
He thinks that he’d have to run the stall for a good year or so, but he is certain that his father will be back to helm the business once he makes a full recovery.
“It’s not a case of if, but when. The stall has been his blood, sweat and tears,” he said. “He will definitely come back.”
Nonetheless, Alvan admits that this turn of events has affected his plans for the future.
Following his dad’s footsteps in starting a food business, Alvan told AsiaOne that he had actually quit his corporate job in order to start a bakery.
But, for now, Alvan has put this plan on hold. He is determined to keep the yong tau foo stall running until his dad returns, adding that he will consider other options when the time is right.
‘He’s watching us over CCTV’
For the first-time hawker, taking over the yong tau foo stall meant that he had many things to learn.
And who can be a better mentor than his dad?
Besides briefing Alvan on what needs to be done over the phone, his dad has been keeping an eye on the business through CCTV camera “every morning without fail”.
Alvan is not alone in running the show, however, the stall has three to four assistants who work on a half-day shift system.
He opens the stall with a “seasoned” assistant who also guides him on the job.
While it’s been less than a month since he took over the business, Alvan has been looking at ways to improve the stall’s offerings, and has introduced new menu items such as udon.
Running a food business also poses some challenges and the one that affects Alvan the most is the long working hours without any air-conditioning.
“The toughest part (of this job) is having to get used to these long hours of standing,” he said. “Training the staff and promoting (the stall) to customers also takes time and effort.”
Despite the difficulties, Alvan believes keeping the stall going is the right thing to do.
Sharing his passion for food, he shares a quote from a friend: “When you serve excellent food as a business, you are no longer running a business, you are servicing the community and your returning customers.”
“That’s the job satisfaction I don’t think many other occupations can provide,” he said.
This article was first published on AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.