Forum: Coffee-shop and foodcourt fare just as cheap and good

I often hear people praising hawker food, saying it tastes nicer and is cheaper compared with food sold at foodcourts and coffee shops (Build hawker centre in Bukit Batok town, Dec 25).

This is not necessarily true.

Gone are the days when hawker food was cheap, and stallholders did everything themselves with no added cost from the engagement of cleaners and dishwashers, thereby saving operational costs.

I find that apart from food sold at air-conditioned foodcourts in shopping malls that may be a little pricier, most food sold at non-air-conditioned foodcourts and coffee shops in the heartland is cheaper than the food sold at hawker centres, or comparable in price.

In addition, it tastes just as good, and there is no lack of variety.

The stallholders also seem to take fewer days off and work long hours, which allows diners to have their meals even late at night.

Meanwhile, at hawker centres, stallholders tend to sell similar or repeated dishes. For example, at Maxwell Food Centre, which is famous for chicken rice, I found no fewer than six chicken rice stalls. At Hong Lim Food Centre, there are at least three stalls selling chicken curry noodles.

With more competition among hawkers selling the same food items, each stall owner's share of takings would be reduced.

Such a situation may not allow these hawkers to earn enough to cover their operating costs and rental, in spite of the hard work and long hours they put in.

Thus, it may not be the case that operating a stall at a hawker centre in the heartland would provide a steady source of income.

The hawker trade does not seem to be like it was in the past.

Priscilla Poh Beng Hoon

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