Young Amoy Street hawker who had to close stall due to CB hopes people can give him a shot after reopening

Young hawkers are a rare sight these days, especially since the pandemic wreaked havoc on all local F&B establishments big and small. 

Delonix Tan, a third-generation hawker selling fishball noodles, is not giving up that easily. The passion to continue plying his trade despite multiple setbacks is keeping him afloat in current circumstances, with the hopes that his reopened stall at Amoy Street Food Centre can survive. 

In a post on the Hawkers United Facebook group page, Tan shared how his dream to set up his own hawker stall was nearly dashed thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, which prompted enhanced social distancing measures to kick in. 

“Growing up helping my dad in the wet market, I have always been passionate about the hawker trade,” he wrote. 

According to Tan, he was 21 when he registered for the National Environment Agency (NEA) Incubation Stall Programme, a subsidised scheme for aspiring hawkers to set up their business. He eventually opened his own stall — Sandai Fishball — on April 1. 

A unique selling point of his fare? Fishballs and yong tau foo with everything made from scratch at the crack of dawn. 

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/delonixtwj/videos/2300922466677412/[/embed]

Unfortunately, he had no choice but to shut it down temporarily, due to the circuit breaker that was implemented after four days of operations. Being situated in the Central Business District made things worse as the usual crowds trickled to “zero footfall” after everyone except essential workers started working from home. 

With the end of the circuit breaker and the reopening of his fishball noodle stall yesterday (June 2), Tan hopes that everyone working near Amoy Street can give him a shot. 

“I love the hawker scene and (am) proud to be a third generation hawker but if things doesn’t improve my cashflow won’t last for long,” he pondered. 

“So I sincerely hope that anyone that works nearby can come and give us a shot. It would mean the world to us.”

With thousands of likes and hundreds of shares, Tan’s post struck a chord with many on the Facebook group. Commenters assured that they would patronise his stall as soon as they’re able to once again. 

Responding to queries about getting his stall on food delivery services, Tan mentioned that he is currently exploring the option and will work on it. 

For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit here.

ilyas@asiaone.com