'We are basically losing money selling vegetables': Hawker who sells yong tau foo at $2.50 for 10 pieces to raise prices

After trying their best to keep prices low for their elderly customers living in the area, one hawker stall at Circuit Road has had no choice but to increase it to keep up with the times. 

For years, 9's Yong Tau Foo tried to sell yong tau foo for mostly 20 cents per piece — except for fried items, which are slightly more expensive. 

However, with rising costs this year, they had to raise prices to $2.50 for 10 pieces of yong tau foo, reported Shin Min Daily News. 

And come Jan 1 next year, prices will be upped once again to $3 for 10 pieces. 

9's Yong Tau Foo also has another outlet at Toa Payoh, which commands a higher rent than the Circuit Road outlet. 

This year, its prices for yong tau foo was already $3 for 10 pieces, and next year, it will increase to $3.50 for 10 pieces. 

The family-run business, which was founded by Lee Seyan Meng, is currently managed by Seyan Meng's wife, Wu Chunlan (transliteration).

In her free time, their eldest daughter-in-law, Lin Xueli (transliteration), helps out at the stall. 

With rising costs come losses

Xueli shared that even if a customer chooses only vegetables as ingredients, it's hard to make a profit. 

"Because the price of vegetables has increased so much now, we are basically losing money selling vegetables," she said. 

She added that the prices of vegetables also fluctuate depending on the weather. 

"For example, because it's been raining recently, the vegetable production is not good and the cost prices are higher," she explained.

"But our selling price can't always increase accordingly."

It wasn't easy making the decision to raise prices and Chunlan revealed that this was only done after much consideration. 

For a long time, Xueli had also been encouraging the family to do so. 

"If this continues, it will be difficult to maintain the business. However, the owners have been reluctant to adjust the price too quickly because of the purchasing power of the elderly residents," she said. 

They've been making yong tau food for 60 years

According to their website, 9's Yong Tau Foo was founded in 1963 by Seyan Meng. 

After becoming the breadwinner, he learned how to to make Teochew-style yong tau foo so he could sell them to support his family. 

The process is tedious and time-consuming.

"Our fish balls and fillings area all made by hand. Although there are machines to help make the fish paste, it is still a lot of work requiring three to four hours of preparation," said Xueli.

She told the Chinese Daily that despite his age, Seyan Meng refuses to retire. 

On top of that, he still insists on going to their factory at Aljunied every day in the wee hours of the morning to supervise the production of fish balls and fish fillings with his eldest son. 

Chunlan herself works up to 12 hours a day, starting from around 2am or 3am.

While the Covid-19 pandemic affected their business significantly, the business survived by moving their sales online and promoting themselves with social media. 

ALSO READ: Muffin bakery Chocolat N' Spice to close Tanjong Pagar outlet after 19 years

melissateo@asiaone.com