Latest news with #Hawkers
CNA
6 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Bukit Canberra hawkers contractually bound to provide free meals under pay-it-forward scheme, lawyers say
SINGAPORE: Hawkers' participation in a scheme to provide free meals at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre is mandatory based on the language of their tenancy agreements, said lawyers consulted by CNA. A 2024 version of the contract seen by CNA states that a stall tenant 'shall participate' in the pay-it-forward programme 'as implemented and/or directed by the company', requiring them to set aside 100 meals at their own cost for the scheme. Another clause requires the tenant to provide at least two menu items below S$3 and display them prominently. The tenant shall also offer a 10 per cent discount on their other menu items to CHAS Blue, Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation card holders, another clause read. Managing partner of Lighthouse Law Adrian Wee said it does not appear from the wording of these clauses that the hawkers' participation in the scheme is voluntary. "The use of the word 'shall' suggests that the tenant is obliged to participate in the scheme and that this is one of the several obligations imposed on the tenant under the tenancy. "The fact that the scheme has not yet started has no bearing on whether the tenant will eventually be obliged to participate if and when the scheme starts," he added. Lawyer Chooi Jing Yen also agreed that the word "shall" means the hawkers legally have to participate in the scheme. "Technically, if the hawkers fail to comply, that would be a breach of the contract," he said. Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre is one of several social enterprise hawker centres in Singapore. In 2024, then-Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Koh Poh Koon said that all social enterprise hawker centre operators must propose ways to ensure affordable food options are available as part of their tender proposals. "So far operators have committed that all stalls in their centres will provide at least one value meal option. This is not an attempt to force hawkers to sell all of their dishes at low prices. "Instead, the intent is for operators to work with hawkers to offer a range of food offerings at different price points," he had said at the time. Value meals only account for about 5 to 20 per cent of meals sold in social enterprise hawker centres, he noted. "Hawkers are not expected to make a loss selling value meals." The operator of Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre took to Facebook on Tuesday night to address the free meals programme. According to Canopy Hawkers Group, it received 'overwhelming interest' during the stall application stage three years ago, and it was 'not easy' to select tenants. "Other than offering affordable and quality meals, we also incorporated into our selection criteria hawkers who shared our vision to pay-it-forward to the community, through the offering of free meals to the low income. "As hawkers were selected on this basis, we incorporated Pay-it-Forward into the tenancy contract," the operator said in its post. After the hawker centre opened, the operator discussed the programme with the stallholders further, and reduced the original arrangement of 30 meals per month to a total of 100 meals over the three-year tenancy period, the post read. This revised arrangement was reflected in a contract variation around August 2023, said Canopy Hawkers Group. In the Facebook post, it noted that the programme has not officially started and the preparatory work has not been done yet. "So there is no obligation on the part of the hawkers, and no penalties to speak of. "While hawkers have voluntarily agreed to participate at the point of selection, we also acknowledged the view that charity should not be contractual, and this is something to be reviewed again when the Pay-It -Forward programme is ready." Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC Ong Ye Kung had said on Monday that there are no penalties if hawkers "do not or are unable to provide the meals". The health minister also said the initiative had yet to start. Mr Wee said if the tenants were selected on the basis that they were willing to participate in the programme to provide free meals, then it is not surprising that their participation is written into the tenancy agreement in the form of a "binding obligation". "In general, if something is voluntary, meaning the tenant has the option of not doing it, then that choice should be reflected in the terms of the agreement between parties, or, better yet, omitted altogether," he said. Mr Chooi pointed out that accepting tenants based on their willingness to participate in the programme and the operator's decision not to enforce the scheme seemed contradictory. If Canopy Hawker Group later decides to enforce the contract or the relevant penalties despite having said publicly that they will not do so, hawkers may rely on the legal principle of 'estoppel' as a defence, he added. "(This means that) the hawkers can say, 'sorry, despite what has been written in the contract, you have separately and publicly stated that this is a voluntary obligation'," said Mr Chooi. The fact that the hawkers are not providing free meals in accordance with the contract does not mean that the operator can penalise them for not keeping to the terms, he added. From its post on Facebook, it appears that the operator has also acknowledged this point, Mr Chooi said. He added that the post seems to imply that a voluntary charity scheme need not or should not have been included in the contracts in the first place, especially if they were not going to enforce it against the hawkers. Amarjit Singh of Amarjit Sidhu Law said if the scheme is for charity, it should be voluntary. 'If hawkers agree to participate and set aside free meals, then it should be ok. But the imposition of penalties is unreasonable,' he added, noting that Mr Ong has also confirmed that the hawkers will not be penalised for not giving out free meals. The terms of a contract need to be reasonable, fair and not onerous, and should not put either party at a disadvantage, he said, adding that in general, the courts would decide on the reasonableness of a contract.
Forbes
25-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Hawkers, Asian Street Food, Boosted By Private Equity Investment
Hawkers, specializing in Asian street food, launched in Orlando, Fl, (pictured above) in 2011 by ... More four friends, but now has 15 locations in 7 states and a major investment from private equity Savory Fund. The four friends from the Orlando and Winter Haven, Fl. area felt that Asian street food called 'hawkers' was missing from Florida. So in 2011, the quartet with the help of one of their aunts bootstrapped $80,000 to open Hawkers in Orlando, where it is headquartered. Three of them, Wayne Young, Allen Lo, and Kin Ho (who died of leukemia in Jan. 2024) had roots in Vietnam, Malaysia and Hong Kong, and Kaleb Harrell hails from Florida. Then to expand they raised additional funds from a contingent of about 60 friends and family as shareholders while still maintaining majority ownership and now operate 15 Hawkers locations, all company-owned, across 7 states--Fl., Ga., N.C., Tenn, Md., Va. and Tx. But now with an investment from the private equity firm Savory Fund, which is based in Lehi, Utah, which has invested in Mo' Bettahs, Saigon Hustle and Swig, Hawkers is ready to step up expansion. An Alternative to Casual Dining The quartet felt that Orlando was 'the land of casual dining,' Harrell said, but needed a jolt of 'Asian street food.' He adds that his family didn't travel much so getting to taste dim sum, dumplings, or noodle dishes excited him. He and his friends opened Hawkers with 'the perspective of the guests who wanted to visit an amazing place and taste its authentic food.' At most actual hawkers in Asia, diners eat on dishes such as Singapore Mei fun, and the ingredients come from a small farm a few miles away. An Asian-style cuisine Hawkers is proving to be an effective alternative to the many burger, taco, pizza and chicken chains, and with a private equity partner, is primed to grow. Three Founders Drive Hawkers Of the three remaining founders, Harrell serves as CEO, Lo as brand chef overseeing the menu, and Yang as vibe director in charge of its physical designs. Savory Fund is the majority investor, but Hawkers, Harrell points out, remains founder-led. At Hawkers, some of the most popular dishes include roti Canai, Malaysian flatbread with curry dipping sauce, Korean twice-fried wings, and soup dumplings filled with pork and bone broth. Diners can't eat burger and fries, pizza and tacos all the time and Hawkers offers Chinese dumplings, BBQ pork bao and chili crisp wontons as tasty alternatives. Take-out and delivery constitute about 25% of its overall revenue, and it partners with Uber Eats and Door Dash. Keeping all of their 15 locations company-owned made sense, Harrell said, because 'our food is complex; it's a scratch kitchen,' not easy to replicate and therefore doesn't lend itself easily to a franchising model. Andrew K. Smith, a co-founder and managing director at Savory Fund, said it was attracted to invest in Hawkers because of its 'passionate guest following, bold flavors and magnetic energy. It's a dining experience unlike any other.' Its data also revealed that Asian cuisine in the U.S. was growing at 12% annually but traditional foods at 1% or 2%. Moreover, he cites that it's been able to attract and retain loyal customers. More than 50% of its sales stems from guests who average visiting Hawkers 8 times a year. Harrell explains that Savory Fund and the Hawkers owners are aligned in their 'values, the integrity of the brand, and what scale looks like.' Smith says that Savory Fund thinks it can 'scale without losing what makes them special like Mo' Bettahs.' The chain was 'built by founders who care deeply about the guest experience.' And Harrell points out that its investment enables it to be a 'debt-free company and make it possible for us to grow in an intentional and thoughtful way, more locations, more development opportunities for our team.' Smith expects that most of its growth will stem from the 7 states it's currently located in, and continue to be company-owned, not from franchising. However, in the future, he's open to considering larger metropolises such as Chicago or New York City or licensing deals overseas. Asked the keys to the future success of Hawkers, Smith replies: 1) Keeping the cuisine simple and approachable for all customers, 2) Creating a culture in each restaurant where the guest feels at home, 3) Maintaining a disciplined approach to growth and not expanding too rapidly.
Malay Mail
19-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Putrajaya traders get smarter tools as Penjaya, DOSM roll out data-driven platform
PUTRAJAYA, May 19 — The Putrajaya Hawkers and Small Traders Association (Penjaya) has launched its first official website and digital dashboard, offering real-time data to help its 320 members make smarter business decisions and engage more effectively with local authorities. Developed together with the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), Penjaya president Juhaidi Yean Abdullah said the platform features real-time data that allows faster engagement with local authorities, better planning, and wider promotion opportunities for traders. 'This initiative helps us move towards a more professional and data-driven approach,' he said in his speech at the launch of Penjaya dashboard at the Hotel Park Inn By Radisson here. Juhaidi said the website marks a new chapter for the association, which was formally registered in 2012 and now represents over 320 members in Putrajaya, Selangor, and Kuala Lumpur. The six-month collaboration with DOSM involved census methods, consultations, and data validation processes, resulting in what Penjaya describes as a credible and reliable database of its members. Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the dashboard could also be used to design more targeted development and intervention programmes, particularly for youth groups. 'Data on age, education level, and business location can be used to plan entrepreneurship training, start-up assistance, and short-term support that is more accurately tailored to actual needs on the ground,' he said in a press conference. When asked if the initiative would be expanded to traders nationwide, Mohd Uzir said this is currently in the planning stages. In the same press conference, National Federation of Hawkers and Petty Traders of Malaysia president Datuk Zainal Abidin Abdul Majid said the biggest advantage is that entrepreneurs can now request government assistance with a clear and accurate budget. 'For example, in the past, when applying for funding through the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development, we could only estimate the amount needed. 'But if we have accurate statistics, say each trader needs RM1,000 and there are 500 traders, then we know we need exactly RM500,000. It becomes precise and data-driven,' he added.
