School canteen vendor who went viral on TikTok for chiding pupil shutters stall after complaint
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Mr Rayner Tan had opened the Hearty Green (Vegetarian) stall at Mee Toh School on Aug 19.
PHOTOS: SCREENGRAB FROM VEG.ENG/TIKTOK
Follow topic:
SINGAPORE – A Mee Toh School canteen stall owner whose interaction with a pupil posted on TikTok recently went viral will shutter the stall.
Mr Rayner Tan, 27, who goes by @veg.eng on TikTok, said in a video posted on the platform on Nov 18 that the stall will not be renewing its lease with the school in 2026.
“It has been a difficult time dealing with (the) school, MOE (Ministry of Education), parents, and also figuring out... our next steps,” said Mr Tan in the video.
The post was later edited to omit Mr Tan saying this, but the original version had already made its rounds on other online platforms such as Reddit.
Mr Tan explained that a complaint was made to Mee Toh School regarding the viral video – in which he chided a pupil who threw a $2 note at him – with the complainant asking for the video to be taken down.
“We were obligated to take it down along with other videos,” said Mr Tan in the original Nov 18 video.
He also cited the “unsustainable income” as another challenge faced in running the stall.
“We are saddened that we couldn’t take this venture further,” he said, adding that he would update his followers on his next steps.
In the video’s caption, Mr Tan wrote: “End of journey on Nov 18.”
Mr Tan opened the Hearty Green (Vegetarian) stall on Aug 19 and had been documenting his journey running the stall on TikTok. This includes some interactions with pupils, whose faces do not appear in his videos.
In early November, a video of him telling a pupil not to throw his $2 note at him while paying for food went viral, racking up more than 2.5 million views and attracting thousands of comments as at Nov 7.
In the video, after the boy throws the money onto the counter, Mr Tan passes the money back to him, telling him: “Pass me properly.”
The boy complies.
The pair then talk briefly about the food the boy ordered, before exchanging thank-yous.
“Respect is mutual, no hard feelings,” Mr Tan wrote in a caption.
In the comment section of the video, many users praised Mr Tan for firmly reminding the student of good etiquette, although others criticised what they felt was a harsh tone he took.
The video is no longer available on Mr Tan’s TikTok page.
The Straits Times has contacted Mr Tan and Mee Toh School for more details.
