Old F&B brands are being revitalised by a younger generation of leaders to remain fresh and exciting
By Huang Lijie
Feb 7, 2010
Collective food memories hold a sacred place in food-loving Singapore. Whether one gushes about an early memory of tucking into a warm flaky curry puff from Polar Puffs & Cakes or reminisces about devouring a handsome slab of sizzling steak from the beloved steakhouse Jack's Place, chances are one will find kindred foodies with similar experiences.
Which is why when heritage food and beverage (F&B) brands, under the charge of a new generation of leaders, try to make themselves over to keep pace with changes in lifestyles and consumer habits, they are faced with the challenge of preserving tradition and nostalgia, and staying up to date.
Mr Joseph Baladi, chief executive officer of the brand consultancy BrandAsian, says: 'The new generation of leaders at these companies need to understand the role that a brand has played in the success of the business.'
Dr Prem Shamdasani, 50, associate professor of marketing at the National University of Singapore Business School, adds: 'The new leadership needs to constantly validate the relevance of the brand to the market and customers, and make changes to update it while reinforcing its unique heritage so that it remains fresh, exciting and sustainable.'
Restaurants such as Han's and Muthu's Curry, for example, have revitalised their brand and won praise among diners.
Fashion sales manager Pat Lim, 53, a customer of Han's for 30 years, says: 'The new design of the shop is welcoming and cosy. The menu has also expanded so much that I eat there at least three times a week without getting bored of the food.
'And now that it has opened 24-hour restaurants in Upper Thomson Road and Holland Drive, I have been able to pop in for a late-night snack.'
Mr Lim Yen Hui, 39, owner of a graphic design firm who has been dining at Muthu's Curry for 10 years, says: 'I took my kids to its new restaurant in Dempsey Road and they liked it. It's good to see the same high-quality cooking but food presented in a more modern way.'
Indeed, F&B operators with a long history have updated themselves in various ways, from redesigning the stores and introducing snazzier logos to tweaking the brand name and business strategy.
LifeStyle interviews the new generation of leaders at seven established F&B brands to find out how they are working to remain a part of Singaporean's collective food memory.
Feb 7, 2010
Han's

Hainanese- style Western fare attracted patrons to Han?s cafe outlet in Funan Centre in 1989.
Who: Ms Shaye Han, 32, quality assurance manager, Mr Foo Yong Hong, 30, area manager, Mr Han Tong Siew, 30, outlet manager, Mr Daryl Chai, 45, area manager (Han's and Hanis)
What: Han's was started in 1980 by Mr Han Choon Fook, a Hainanese and former civil servant, at The Arcade in Collyer Quay. His six younger siblings are partners of the cafe and bakery, which specialises in Hainanese-style Western food such as pork chops and pastries. Hanis, a halal version of Han's, opened in 2006.
Where: Nineteen Han's outlets, including 1 Pickering Street, 01-03,
Great Eastern Centre, tel: 6438-3959, open: 7am to 10pm daily; and five Hanis branches, including 01-22, Wilkie Edge, tel: 6338-1903, open: 24 hours
Mr Han Choon Fook, 66, is grooming a team of leaders to take over the family- owned business and the talents under his mentorship have risen to their biggest challenge to date, opening the newest Hanis cafe and bakery at the Wilkie Edge mall last month.
The team is made up of Mr Han's daughter, Shaye, his nephews Yong Hong and Tong Siew, and Mr Chai, who is not related to the founding family but who worked previously as a retail manager in Malaysia.
The name of the halal cafe and bakery, Hanis, was chosen by Mr Han as a play on the original brand name, Han's.
The chic 150-seat outlet dressed in shades of grey, red and white, cost more than $1 million to set up and is the group's second largest eatery after its flagship outlet at Great Eastern Centre.
Ms Han, who is single and joined after graduating in media studies from Murdoch University in Perth, says: 'We handled this project on our own and it is significant because the kitchen at this outlet is the central cooking and baking facility for our halal arm, which we plan to expand.'
The company had a turnover of $30 million last year and plans to open seven new eateries this year under both the Han's and Hanis brands.
To adapt to the changing lifestyle of diners, it also began operating some Han's cafes round-the-clock in 2007.
Mr Foo, who finished his O levels and joined the company after national service, turned the outlet in Upper Thomson Road into Han's first 24-hour eatery.
He says: 'I noticed a demand, especially among younger diners, for eateries that stay open through the night and I believed that a 24-hour Han's would increase sales.'
In three months, its first 24-hour cafe began drawing a steady stream of young diners as well as young families.
The Holland Drive branch of Han's and the Wilkie Edge branch of Hanis are also open round the clock.
It successfully implemented the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points food safety management system at its Great Eastern Centre and Budget Terminal branches last year and it is rolling out the scheme at its other outlets.
Ms Han says: 'With this system in place, it will be easy for us to replicate the operations overseas, where we have received many franchise inquiries.'
While there are no definite plans on when the group will branch out of Singapore, overseas expansion is something the team is gearing towards.
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Feb 7, 2010
Polar Cafe
Who: Mr Jonathan Cheah, 33, chief operating officer, Polar Puffs & Cakes
What: Started by Mr Cheah's maternal grandfather, Mr Chan Hinky, a migrant worker from China, in 1926. Its first store, Polar Cafe in High Street, quickly became known for its flaky-crust curry puffs.
Where: 32 shops including Block 490, 01-14, Toa Payoh Hub, tel: 6356-7787, open: 8am to 10pm weekdays, 9am to 10pm weekends, as well as 64 counters in convenience stores at Esso petrol kiosks
Snow falling against an austere green background of a brand logo hardly conveys the warm fuzziness one feels when biting into a toasty curry puff.
So when Mr Cheah took over the helm of the family business in 2007, the logo was redesigned to better express its brand vision of 'bringing love and joy to every occasion'. The original logo was conceived by a brand consultant.
The new logo sports a heart-shaped flower bud and the lettering, in a casual font with rounded edges, comes in shades of blue-green and lime-green.
Mr Cheah, who is single, says: 'Polar has been in Singapore for so long, we need to attract a younger crowd through a new look and product range.'
The doctoral graduate in electrical and electronic engineering from Nanyang Technological University quit his research job to join Polar because he likes the dynamic nature and quick pace of the food business.
To learn the ropes, he read books on business management.
Under his watch, Polar's cakes have shed their dated designs and boast a sleeker look. The flavour of its puffs and cakes has similarly evolved to keep pace with consumers' changing tastebuds and diets. New additions include black pepper chicken puff.
The opening of Polar bistros at four locations, including Toa Payoh Hub last year, marks his efforts to engineer a return of the bakery to its roots as a cafe.
After Polar moved from High Street to OUB Centre in Raffles Place in 1986, it began operating as a takeaway business. He says: 'Puffs and cakes are something people have for tea but we want to grow our business, and since we already have space at the store, we felt we should start a bistro to cater to the lunch and dinner crowds.
'We tried to switch to a cafe set-up earlier but it never succeeded because we sold takeaway food like sandwiches instead of a proper dine-in menu.'
The bistro offers a range of dishes such as pastas, pizzas and baked rice, priced around $6 to $8.
To enhance product safety, Polar adopted the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points food safety management system last year.
And it is installing an IT system that will allow it to assess in real time how various factors, including price promotions and ingredients cost, affect its business.
It cost the company, with a turnover of $22 million last year, 'a substantial amount' to implement these improvements.
He says: 'The second generation of family members running Polar did ask why I was spending money on all these changes instead of doubling profits but I felt it was necessary to consolidate the business first so that our long-term survival is not jeopardised.'
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Feb 7, 2010
Bee Cheng Hiang
Who: Mr Daniel Wong, 41, group general manager, Bee Cheng Hiang
What: The popular bak kwa shop was started by Mr Wong's grand uncle, Mr Teo Swee Ee, a hawker from China, in 1933, in Chinatown.
Where: 32 outlets here, including its newest at 313@Somerset, B3-12, tel: 6509-4709, open: 10am to 11pm daily, and 124 outlets in five Asian countries, including China, Taiwan and Malaysia
Doing away with convention has helped Mr Wong grow the family business in bak kwa, a traditional barbecued meat treat.
The computer science graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who has been helping out with the business since childhood, says: 'Although the business was doing well when I joined the company in 1993, it had set ways of doing things.
'We could not offer discounts as customers might think we were lowering our prices because something was wrong with our bak kwa.'
He was an assistant manager then and he disagreed with the no-discount policy, believing that price promotions would instead sweeten the deal for consumers.
He tested this out when Bee Cheng Hiang opened a shop in West Mall in August, 1998. It was the year after the Asian financial crisis hit and sales had dropped. He says: 'I convinced the management that the opening of a new store was good reason to offer a price promotion and the amount of sales generated from the 20 per cent discount was beyond our imagination.
'Everything that was barbecued went straight onto the weighing scale and was sold immediately during the two-day promotion.'
Since then, price promotions have become its sales strategy, with the smaller profit margin offset by large volumes of sales.
He says: 'We gradually offered discounts throughout the year, timing them with the Great Singapore Sale, the Mid-Autumn Festival and Christmas so that people had reasons beyond Chinese New Year to buy bak kwa.'
The company has also reinvented itself through its store design.
Since 2003, its retail shops have undergone a makeover, which saw its dated red walls and green tile designs replaced by sleek white interiors and a glass-enclosed grill that showcases the barbecuing of its sweet meat.
Product innovation has been key to the brand's rejuvenation as well.
Its Gourmet Bak Kwa, which uses premium pork belly instead of the usual cuts of pork hind leg, has become one of its bestsellers since it was introduced in 2003.
The idea for it, says Mr Wong, who is married with three children aged eight to 12, was sparked by the popularity of wagyu beef among connoisseurs and a desire to find an equivalent for bak kwa.
Its Mini EZ, individually vacuum-packed bite-size pieces of bak kwa that eliminate the hassle of getting one's fingers oily when eating, proved to be popular after it was launched in 2002, and accounts for more than 10 per cent of the company's total bak kwa sales.
He says: 'Our products need to change as lifestyles change because our long-time customers are getting old and if we do not entice younger consumers, we will run out of customers.'
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Feb 7, 2010
Boon Tong Kee
Who: Mr Wong Soon Hock, 45, director of operations, Boon Tong Kee
What: The popular chicken rice chain was started in 1979 by Singaporean Thian Boon Hua as a coffee-shop stall in Chinatown
Where: Six outlets here including 401 Balestier Road, tel: 6254-3937, open: 11 to 4am daily, and a store in Taiwan, with another two outlets opening this year, one each in Taiwan and Jakarta
After the avian flu struck in 2004, Mr Wong and his management team found themselves puzzling over the fate of the popular chicken rice restaurant, Boon Tong Kee.
He says in Mandarin: 'We realised that we could not rely just on chicken rice to sustain our business. So we decided to venture into selling the sauces we use at our restaurant, which we produce in a central kitchen in Woodlands.'
The range of sauces, including the dark soya sauce and chilli sauce that are served with its poached chicken, began selling last year at its restaurants and are priced between $3 and $10 a bottle.
Buoyed by the encouraging response, it is adding eight new flavours to the range this year, including ginger paste and black pepper sauce, and it is also looking to distribute the sauces through provision shops.
Its outlets were also revamped in 2005 to improve the brand's image.
Checked table cloths and softer lighting were introduced to create a more comfortable dining experience in the hope of appealing to younger diners.
The area where the cook chops the poached chicken was also enclosed in glass to create a hygienic environment while allowing diners to watch the cook at work.
Mr Wong, who joined the restaurant as a cook in 1985 after his National Service and worked his way up the ranks, says: 'Before our various revamps, our annual sales was about $12 million in 2004. Last year, our sales increased to about $15 million and we have also seen younger customers eat at our restaurants.'
He was picked by the founder to helm the company last year because he successfully turned around the business at its Whampoa West outlet. Business there was lagging due to MRT works and construction at nearby flats, which blocked the eatery from the view of passers-by.
He sustained the outlet with sales of about $1 million annually from 1997 to 2004 by offering customers a 10 per cent discount. And when construction work in the neighbourhood was completed by 2005, sales there doubled to more than $2 million.
Although he did not finish primary school, Mr Wong, who is married with three children aged between seven and 14, attends short business courses to learn management skills.
He also credits Mr Thian as being a wise mentor who taught him the importance of being prepared for all situations.
Looking ahead, he says: 'We plan to bring our chicken rice, as well as our bottled sauces, to overseas markets because we are confident of the international appeal of our product.'
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Feb 7, 2010
Muthu's Curry
Who: Mr Visvanaath A., 38, chief executive officer, and Mrs Veshali Visvanaath, 32, director of marketing, Muthu's Curry Restaurant and The Muthu's Flavors
What: Muthu's Curry Restaurant was started in 1969 in a Klang Road coffee-shop stall by Mr Ayyakkannu S., who came here in 1957 and worked as a provision store assistant previously. His son, Mr Visvanaath, took over the business in 1994 and opened a new casual Indian restaurant, The Muthu's Flavors, last December
Where: Muthu's Curry Restaurant in 138 Race Course Road, 01-01, tel: 6392-1722, open: 10.30am to 10.30pm daily, and B1-56 Suntec City Mall, tel: 6835-7707, open: 11.30am to 3pm and 6 to 10pm daily; The Muthu's Flavors in Block 7 Dempsey Road, 01-01, tel: 6474-5128, open: 11.30am to 3pm and 6 to 10.30pm daily and 313 Orchard Road, B3-02 313@Somerset, tel: 6884-8380, open: 11am to 11pm daily
Pappadum twisties, curly ribbons of the Indian cracker, and Masala Coke, a cola drink flavoured with spices such as cumin, are some surprises at The Muthu's Flavors, a hip off-shoot of the famous traditional Indian restaurant Muthu's Curry, which specialises in fish head curry.
Mr Visvanaath says: 'We want to target a younger crowd with The Muthu's Flavors and the feedback from focus groups was that young diners like eating individually plated meals.'
So the couple and his brother, director of operations Srinivasan A., 30, decided to offer a complete meal in individual portions with a serving of salad, rice or naan, the main dish and pappadum twisties presented elegantly on a plate.
The new eatery concept also boasts chic interiors and meals average between $15 and $25.
Response to the two The Muthu's Flavors, which cost about $1.5 million to set up, has been encouraging. Mr Visvanaath adds: 'If my father was still around, I might not have introduced improvements because he believed that if something isn't broken, don't fix it. And when he handed over the business to me, the restaurant was always packed, even though it had little ambience.'
After his father died in 1996 from a heart attack, however, business nosedived because hoarding for the construction of the North-East MRT line obscured its outlet in Little India. But his lucky break came in 2001 when a TV show featured the eatery and queues began forming. Business was so good, he was able to afford a $1.6-million move to its current larger Race Course Road premises in 2004.
The couple, married with three young children, also added North Indian food such as naan to the menu for variety. He says: 'My father might not agree with all the changes I have introduced but I am sure he will be proud of how I have grown the business.
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Feb 7, 2010
Jack's Place
Who: Mr Jason Ong, 32, management services manager, JP Pepperdine group of restaurants including Jack's Place, Seafood Harvest, Eatzi Gourmet and Brewbaker's Kitchen and Bar
What: Mr Say Lip Hai, a Hainanese cook to expatriate families here, started a Western restaurant, Cola Restaurant and Bar in Sembawang in 1966. He bought over the English pub, Jack's Place in Killiney Road in 1967, which was started by an Englishman named Jack Hunt. All the outlets were later named Jack's Place. The family-run business expanded and its restaurants came under the brand JP Pepperdine last year.
Where: 14 Jack's Place outlets here, including 6 Raffles Boulevard, 02-138H, tel: 6338-8292, open: 11am to 10.30pm daily, and one outlet in Malaysia
Top management of the family-run steakhouse chain Jack's Place had initially shelved makeover plans following a bad experience with a branding consultant in 2002.
But Mr Ong, the grandson of the restaurant's founder, was not ready to give up on revamping the chain. After much persuasion, he convinced the second-generation helming the business to overhaul the restaurant's dated look.
In 2003, the design of its eateries was made more uniform and more wood elements were introduced to create a homey feeling.
Mr Ong, who joined after graduating with a bachelor's degree in commerce from Deakin University in Melbourne and who is married with a child, says: 'After the rebranding, which cost us about $1.8 million, we saw sales grow by more than 10 per cent the following year.'
Between 2005 and 2008, the group added new restaurant concepts to its portfolio, including seafood outlet Seafood Harvest in Bugis Junction in 2005, and its halal restaurant, bakery and catering arm, Eatzi Gourmet, in 2006 with outlets in East Point Mall and Safra Yishun Country Club.
In 2008, it opened a riverside grill restaurant Brewbaker's Kitchen and Bar in Anchorvale Community Club.
These restaurants were initially associated with Jack's Place and all bore the tagline 'by Jack's Place'. But the affiliation was dropped last year and a new brand, JP Pepperdine, was created as an umbrella company for the various restaurants.
The reason: diners found it hard to accept the established steakhouse brand branching out into different cuisines.
He says: 'JP stands for Jack's Place, a nod to our heritage, and we added 'Pepperdine' because pepper is a versatile ingredient used in many cuisines and we want the name to reflect the diversity of cuisines our group represents.'
With this new brand in place, the restaurant group, with a turnover of more than $30 million last year, is planning to open other restaurants that might feature non-Western cuisines.
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Feb 7, 2010
Hock Lam Street Beef Kway Teow
Who: Miss Tina Tan, 35, owner, Original Hock Lam Street Beef Kway Teow
What: Founded by Miss Tan's great-grandfather, a hawker from China. The business began in 1911 in Hock Lam Street and it specialises in Teochew-style beef kway teow, which is served with salted vegetables and blue ginger
Where: Three outlets, including 1 Jelebu Road, 01-60 Bukit Panjang Plaza, tel: 6314-1273, open 10am to 10pm daily
Instead of opening in a shophouse, as is characteristic of Original Hock Lam Street Beef Kway Teow's previous outlets, the traditional beef noodle store opened its newest outlet last month in the Bukit Panjang Plaza shopping centre.
The new shop also boasts a more elaborate interior: Its dining area has been made to feel like Hock Lam Street in the early days, where diners would eat on the road between two rows of shophouses. So one wall of the eatery has a mural of a row of shophouses while the opposite one features the remodelled facade of an old colonial building.
This new look will be rolled out at its other stores soon.
She says: 'We felt it was time to introduce a makeover because we want to attract a younger crowd that is more conscious of the dining environment. We eventually went with a refined nostalgic design to appeal to both our long-time customers and younger diners.'
The Bukit Panjang Plaza outlet will also be introducing new food items, such as fried mini mantou with XO minced beef sauce, later this month. These dishes will be added to the menu at its other shops subsequently.
She says: 'Our customers have been asking for a wider range of dishes so I spent a year creating these dishes. We are in the process of fine-tuning the recipes.'
The marketing and media graduate from Murdoch University in Perth quit her personal banker job in 2005 to take over her father's business because she felt strongly about preserving the family's culinary heritage.
The taste of its signature beef kway teow, however, remains unchanged.
The herb-flavoured beef broth is simmered for 24 hours and the beef slices are cut by hand. Miss Tan also prepares the herb mix for the soup stock personally to ensure that the taste of the broth remains consistent at the outlets.
She says: 'We have remained successful for 99 years because our recipe has stayed authentic and we do not plan to stray from this winning recipe.'