SINGAPORE: A long-running vegetarian stall at Serangoon Road is moving out after the hawker learned that rental rates would allegedly rise by more than threefold, going from $930 to $3,000, due to a new operator.
Shang De Vegetarian closed down by the end of February after having been run by 76-year-old Leo Shang De, together with his wife, for more than 10 years, according to Shin Min Daily News.
However, as the rental rate for the stall has gone up due to the new operator, the hawker explained that he had only been earning enough to survive and that the new rate was too much for him. He added that he might bid for a stall at a government-owned hawker centre so they can continue running their business.
According to Mr Leo, the old owner of the coffee shop had informed them that they needed to move out by Feb 28. However, when the elderly couple took a long time to clear out the stall, the owner allegedly grew frustrated and started rushing him, even after Mr Leo had told him that only one refrigerator was left. They were waiting for a moving van to take it away.
The hawker said he could not understand why the former operator was getting so aggressive. He also asked the former operator for a two-day refund on his rent. Mr Leo had, after all, shut down on Feb 26 instead of Feb 28, but the former operator said no.
Fortunately, the new operator stepped up to the plate and gave Mr Leo the amount, $62, out of his pocket and encouraged him not to be angry.
Even Pritam Singh is a fan
Their stall had first been located at Circuit Road and was later moved to the coffee shop at 566 Serangoon Road. Before this, Mr Leo ran an eatery in Denmark for over a decade.
The food Mr Leo and his wife served at Shang De Vegetarian gained them quite the following, including Pritam Singh, the leader of The Workers’ Party, who called the stall a “superb vegetarian outlet” in an Instagram post on Feb 25.
Mr Singh wrote that he had received a message from Mr Leo saying it would be the stall’s last day of operation on that date.
“I panicked for reasons associated with my love for local food,” he added.
The good news is that the couple is not leaving the profession for good. They told Mr Singh that they were only taking one or two days of rest, which earned Mr Leo the respect of the leader of the opposition.
“An incredible member of the Pioneer Generation, Leo speaks Swedish and a little Danish too! Many decades ago, he set up a restaurant in Gothenburg, Sweden 🇸🇪 and spent a good 12 years abroad as a restaurateur.
Sometimes, one has to take a risk and venture forth into the unknown – it makes for a life well-lived and lived to the fullest! The same can be said of entering opposition politics in Singapore! #stepup,” Mr Singh added. /TISG
Read also: High prices and rental rates in SG forces Taiwanese hawker to close down