Nasi lemak hawker The CoCo Rice to shutter both Tiong Bahru and Punggol stalls after 3 years

Back in 2021, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Aries Chan, the founder of The CoCo Rice, was one of the brave few people who decided to open an F&B stall. 

After her first successful stall at Tiong Bahru, she went on to open another one at One Punggol Hawker Centre. 

Sadly, both outlets will soon be shuttering for good.

This may come as a surprise as the hawker was just recently invited to participate in the Prime Minister's Chinese New Year Garden Party 2024, where she served food to more than 3,000 guests at the Istana. 

Aries announced the news in posts on her Facebook and Instagram on March 6. 

"We write to you today with mixed emotions as we announce a significant transition in our journey," she wrote.

"After three incredible years serving our beloved nasi lemak at Tiong Bahru Hawker, we have made the heartfelt decision to bid farewell to this chapter of our story." 

The last day for the Tiong Bahru stall will be on March 27, while the Punggol stall's last day is on March 31. 

Aries shared that the "decision has not been made lightly" and thanked her customers for their unwavering support and love. 

She was also grateful to the platforms and influencers that have given her media coverage, as well as those who have given her awards and collaboration opportunities. 

"Each accolade has served as a testament to the dedication and passion poured into every plate of nasi lemak we have served."

While she's sad to let both her stalls go, she understands that as the business evolves, there is the need for "a strategic shift".

"While bidding adieu to our hawker adventure is bittersweet, we are excited to embark on a new adventure that will allow us to explore fresh opportunities and avenues for growth," she wrote. 

This also means that it probably won't be the end of the business. 

Aries hinted that she will be back with some exciting news and urged her customers to keep their eyes peeled in the coming weeks as she will be sharing "updates on future endeavours". 

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Lack of manpower and other issues

In response to AsiaOne's queries, Aries shared that she made the decision to shutter the stall for several reasons.

One was manpower issues.

"The demanding nature of the hawker business, the environment of the working area, coupled with long hours can make it challenging to attract and retain workers. If we want to grow, we need more manpower. But is just so difficult to get someone on board and stay," she reveals.

Aries also explains that the "prevailing mindset that hawker food should be cheap and fast" has also affected business.

"While we wholeheartedly believe in offering value to our customers, we also recognise that the true cost of quality ingredients and the labor-intensive processes we undertake cannot always be reflected in our prices."

Lastly, she feels that the company needs a strategic shift as the industry and business evolves."I still believe in taste and experience. Our commitment and vision to delivering exceptional flavours and experiences will remain steadfast," she says.

"We will do rebranding and introduce new products. We are looking forward to having new venture and introduce new products to our clients. We want to be able to serve a wider crowd of audience as well. We want to bring and introduce the authentic taste, experience and convenience to each household."

For now, there are no plans in the pipeline to reopen the business elsewhere. But if there are, she will update everyone.

Customers can also still enjoy her nasi lemak by ordering her nasi lemak cakes from her home-based business, Nasi Lemak Indulgence.

From home-based business to physical stall 

Before opening her physical store at Tiong Bahru Market in mid-2021, Aries, who hails from Malaysia, used to have a home-based business called Nasi Lemak Indulgence, which was popular for its nasi lemak cakes. 

When she wanted to open her own hawker stall, she realised that she could not continue selling nasi lemak cakes and decided to sell just nasi lemak. 

What made her nasi lemak stand out was its pretty and Instagram-worthy blue pea rice. 

In January last year, she opened another stall at One Punggol Hawker Centre. 

This venture specialised in something a little different — nasi kandar. 

ALSO READ: Popular hawker Butcher The Grill Bar closes, sought support last year due to struggling business

melissateo@asiaone.com