S1E49: All In The Family: What Keeps These Next-gen F&B Owners Cooking The Straits Times Podcasts podcast

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S1E49: All in the family: What keeps these next-gen F&B owners cooking

2d ago 38:08

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For those running businesses in the food and beverage (F&B) scene, 2024 hit a record that wasn’t quite comforting.

Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.

The F&B industry saw 3,047 closures – an almost-20-year record high. However, over 3,790 new eateries opened, in spite of many owners grappling with rising rental rates and food costs.

Still, there is a group of young business owners who are driven to carry on their family legacy.

On this episode of The Usual Place podcast, the spotlight is on next-generation F&B owners who grew up helping out in their family’s restaurant.

Now, they’ve stepped up, not just to keep things running, but to evolve and future-proof what their parents and grandparents built, even as the industry gets tougher by the day.

I sit down with Mr Ernest Ting, 34, director at Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant, and Ms Maria Didih, 37, head of operations at Hjh Maimunah, to talk about what’s it like to take over their family businesses.

Beyond preserving the legacy and reputation of brands that are well-known and loved in Singapore, these younger owners are keen to make their mark with their own ideas.

For Ernest, a third-generation owner of a handmade dim sum business that was opened by his grandparents in 1962, that means taking a fresh approach to menu offerings and expanding the business.

Maria, a second-generation owner who runs the restaurant that makes kampung-style Malay dishes, sauces, and pastes business with her sisters, said that it’s about “being creative and keeping up with the times”, instead of solely banking on an established name.

We talked about their expectations and reservations about joining a family business, and the realities of sustaining a food business, given that many in the industry have closed amid rising costs such as rent.

As Ernest puts it: “It’s not the easiest to do. I think it’s getting even harder. I always tell new people who want to start F&B to ‘think twice’.”

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:34 What these next-generation of F&B owners think about the high number of business closures

4:36 “Singaporeans really know how to eat, so our food better be of decent quality,” says Ernest

5:21 Social media may misrepresent the life – and stresses – of an F&B owner

8:22 Why did Maria and Ernest agree to join the family business?

11:27 Reservations about joining a business with strong legacy and reputation

16:03 How to get the older generation of owners and staff excited about their creative ideas

21:10 “We’re all custodians of Singapore’s food heritage,” says Ernest

34:30 A “compulsory thing”: Maria on how social media changed the way they do business

36:00 What if the next generation doesn’t want to take over the business?

Host: Natasha Zachariah ([email protected])

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this episode: https://str.sg/8Wav

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

ST Podcast producers: Teo Tong Kai & Eden Soh

Executive producer: Ernest Luis

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Feedback to: [email protected]

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Chapters

1. All in the family: What keeps these next-gen F&B owners cooking (00:00:00)

2. Next-gen F&B owners on closures spike (00:01:39)

3. Why say yes to joining the family business? (00:08:27)

4. Winning over elders with fresh creative ideas (00:16:08)

5. What’s it like working with family every day? (00:26:37)

6. What if the next gen won’t take over? (00:36:05)

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S1E49: All in the family: What keeps these next-gen F&B owners cooking

The Straits Times Podcasts

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published 2d ago