SINGAPORE – Traditional businesses might find it tough to survive in modern-day Singapore, but Tay Mui Lan took the plunge anyway, taking over her grandmother’s curry puff business at age 26.
Now 45, she says she is proud of the spontaneous decision she made, and the business has since become her life’s purpose.
“Traditional businesses selling such pastries are a dying trade in Singapore, with fewer stalls operating, as part of a larger trend of a waning number of hawkers, ice-cream uncles and other such trades,” she says.
“Soon Soon Huat Curry Puff is a standing legacy of my grandmother, as well as Singapore’s history,” she says of the business set up in the early 1990s.
Tay used to help out at the curry puff stall at a coffee shop in Eunos on weekends when she was a teenager.
In her 20s, she heard her maternal grandmother telling her mother how tough it was to keep the business going. They also worried about the lack of manpower, since everything was handmade from scratch, and considered giving up the business altogether.
“At that moment, I told them: Let me do it,” Tay recalls.
“They thought I was joking. But the next day, I tendered my resignation from my job as a secretary in the healthcare sector. From then on, I never looked back.”
Soon Soon Huat Curry Puff, which specialises in puffs with flaky pastry, moved to a shop space in East Coast Road in 2015 and added more offerings such as mee siam.
Taking over the business was never part of her plan, Tay says, but it has since become her purpose to honour her family’s legacy and grow the craft into something greater. She runs the shop with her mother, an uncle and two employees.
Tay calls her approach “conservative, with a clear eye on meaningful opportunities”.
For one thing, she does not use digital platforms for the business. Also, she has chosen not to expand in Singapore.
Instead, she collaborated with Wynn Palace in Macau to take curry puffs beyond Singapore’s shores. The curry puffs are sold at a bakery in the luxury resort hotel’s Gourmet Pavilion.
“For me, growth isn’t about chasing numbers – it is about making sure the brand evolves with purpose and reaches younger generations both locally and abroad.”
The single mother of two girls – aged 24 and 10 – says it would be a blessing if the next generation continues the business, but adds that she does not want to put that pressure on them.
“More importantly, I want my kids to grow up with the freedom to pursue their own passions and life goals,” says Tay, who holds a diploma in business management.
“Should the day come when they decide they are ready, I would be more than proud to hand the business down. Until then, I see it as my duty and privilege to nurture both the business and my daughters.”
A: Besides reinvesting in the business, I do not have any other investments. I prefer to keep some money in the bank for liquidity, and after a health scare in 2020, I also ensure that my family has insurance policies mainly for protection.
For Tay, growth is not about chasing numbers, but ensuring the brand evolves with purpose and connects with younger generations at home and abroad.
ST PHOTO: LUTHER LAU
A: Like many entrepreneurs, I was so focused on running the business that I didn’t take the time to understand my own financial security.
In business, cash is king. My priority has always been to ensure there was enough liquidity to keep operations running smoothly. In doing so, I made the mistake of not prioritising insurance plans early because I didn’t understand their upside when I was younger, and I didn’t want my money tied up.
Having gone through the major health episode, my perception has changed – I experienced first-hand the importance of having insurance to help weather such sudden and unfortunate events.
A: My best financial decision was to take up several essential insurance plans with Income, particularly hospitalisation coverage and critical illness plans.
In 2020, I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour. By the time it was discovered, it had grown to 4cm, causing water retention in my brain, and the doctor informed me that I required emergency surgery.
Had I not been covered by a health insurance policy that provided basic protection, the cost of medical treatment would have been a serious concern for me. Even today, I am still receiving treatment for a facial nerve disorder – a side effect of the brain surgery – that affects my speech, face and eyes.
On top of the coverage for medical expenses, I was able to claim about $100,000 from my critical illness plan.
The experience was a wake-up call. As an entrepreneur, regardless of one’s health status, business and family expenses continue to mount. Salaries need to be paid, bills keep coming in and the people who depend on us rely on our ability to provide.
Going through this made me reflect on what truly matters in life. For me, financial security is not just about achieving success, but also about building resilience and stability so I can continue supporting my family and sustaining the legacy entrusted to me.
A: Growing up, money was always something we had to be careful with. Life at home was not easy when we were young. My mother was a homemaker and my father had to juggle three jobs to make ends meet. To help out, my mother babysat my cousins to earn extra income. I grew up watching how hard they both worked and how carefully they stretched every dollar.
Because of that, I understood early on that money does not come easy; it is the result of sacrifice, discipline and perseverance. More than that, my parents showed me that financial security isn’t just about wealth, but also about having stability and peace of mind for the family.
These values are what I carry with me in both life and business – to be prudent, to appreciate what I have and to always make decisions with the long term in mind.
A: It is a blessing that I am able to spend time with my parents and daughters daily at home in the north-east of Singapore.
A: I drive a black seven-seater family car that is sufficient for my family and regular business needs.
A: The highlight of that day would probably be in the evening when everyone gathers for dinner after a long day, sharing food, stories and laughter. To me, a perfect day is one where health, stability and family come together.
A: The very first thing I would do is to take a short break and go for a family holiday. To me, that would be the greatest luxury – not the spending itself, but the freedom to enjoy time with my loved ones without worrying about the day-to-day stress of paying rent, salaries and business expenses.
A: I would simply start building up my life again. What could be worse than giving up? I have already been through humble beginnings and tough times, so I know that with determination, patience and hard work, it is always possible to start over.
To me, $100 isn’t the end, it is the seed of something new.
