The fine art of queueing: Love of food or being paid to do so?

Some are doing it for the love of the food, others may simply be paid to do so

Mr Justin Zheng (above), who works in the aviation industry, was the first person in the queue outside Shake Shack when it opened at Jewel Changi Airport on Wednesday. Queueing service provider iQueue was hired by a radio station to buy food from the burg
Mr Justin Zheng (above), who works in the aviation industry, was the first person in the queue outside Shake Shack when it opened at Jewel Changi Airport on Wednesday. Queueing service provider iQueue was hired by a radio station to buy food from the burger chain for some listeners, as part of its We Queue For You programme. ST PHOTOS: KEVIN LIM
Mr Justin Zheng, who works in the aviation industry, was the first person in the queue outside Shake Shack (above) when it opened at Jewel Changi Airport on Wednesday. Queueing service provider iQueue was hired by a radio station to buy food from the burg
Mr Justin Zheng, who works in the aviation industry, was the first person in the queue outside Shake Shack (above) when it opened at Jewel Changi Airport on Wednesday. Queueing service provider iQueue was hired by a radio station to buy food from the burger chain for some listeners, as part of its We Queue For You programme. ST PHOTOS: KEVIN LIM
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At burger chain Shake Shack's official opening at Jewel Changi Airport on Wednesday, it turned out that a few people in the line were there not for the love of the food, but had been paid to queue.

Mr Justin Zheng, the first person in line for the opening of Shake Shack that day, said two people were hired by queueing service provider iQueue to wait in line for the food.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 20, 2019, with the headline The fine art of queueing: Love of food or being paid to do so?. Subscribe