Despite these ominous statistics, if you are still hungry<\/em> for success, then these are what you need to know to start your hawker stall business in Singapore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read Also: <\/em><\/strong>Guide To Starting A Business In Singapore<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Like our public housing scheme, an application to start a hawker stall business in Singapore is open to only Singapore citizens and permanent residents. While you can compete in Singapore Junior Chef<\/a> as young as five years old, you must be at least 21 years old to operate a hawker stall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aside from fulfilling these conditions, you must also ensure that you are not already renting or are a joint operator of two cooked food stalls in a hawker centre managed by NEA. (Come on, give others a chance, please!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, you cannot apply for a hawker stall if you are an undischarged bankrupt, debarred or de-registered by NEA from holding a hawker licence. No surprises there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are serious about starting a hawker stall or intend to work in a food establishment as a food handler, then you need to complete the Basic Food Hygiene Course (BFHC) now known as the Food Safety Course Level 1. This course is mandatory for anyone involved in the preparation and handling of food (ie: chefs, kitchen helpers, and food stall assistants).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The one-day (7.5-hours) course with assessment trains you in personal hygiene, handling and storing food safely, maintaining cleanliness of equipment and premises, and on Workplace safety. It costs around $150 (before GST), though depending on your age and whether you still have your SkillsFuture credits, you could get it for much lower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re keen to further upgrade your skills and knowledge in food safety & preparation, you can take up the Food Safety Course Level 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have met the above qualifications, the next step is to decide on what you should cook and serve (i.e. your business plan).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about this. Most foodies in Singapore (or at least, those that I know) wouldn\u2019t blink an eyelid about traveling from one end to the other, for good food. In fact, some dishes have ascended to such heights of popularity, that they are named after the location where they are based. Think of Katong Lasak and Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At this stage, you should have an idea of the dish that you intend to specialise in. Have your recipe nailed down to perfection and nothing less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It could benefit you when you need to decide on the stall category (ie: cooked food, Indian cuisine, or Halal cooked food) when you bid and also when doing your cost estimations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, after you have decided on what to sell, you need to determine who your target audience is and where they might be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As small and accessible as Singapore may be, location matters regardless of whether you buy a property or where you decide to run your business. You do not want to be based in an obscure location where foot traffic is low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Different hawker centres serve different demographics, like the office crowd or the residential crowd. Know who your target audience is and be as close to them as possible. There are 123<\/a> NEA managed markets and hawker centres island wide. So, there are plenty of choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It may be a good idea to study the foot traffic of the hawker centre and size up your competitors before bidding. A good rule of thumb is to choose locations that are easily accessible and have the highest possible foot traffic. Even in popular hawker centres, the stall location matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, there is a price to pay for a good location, as others like you would be vying for it. Just note that good locations come with higher rents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To run a successful stall, you would need to place as much emphasis on your business management skills as you would on your cooking skills. While you may not need The Apprentice<\/em> level of business acumen, having some business knowledge allows you to calculate your operating costs, revenue per plate\/dish, and possible marketing expenses to promote to your target market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is where having identified your speciality dish matters. You can work on your cost estimation based on the ingredients and the related cooking supplies required. After that, you have the other big \u201cmoney suckers,\u201d your employee wages and rental fees. In fact, a search on the local job portals for a stall\/cooking assistant, shows employers are willing to pay between $1,800 and $3,000 for a 6-day, 8-hour work week depending on the job task. High or low, that\u2019s the market rate and should be factored in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you think that’s all the costs, no, there\u2019s more!. Other related expenses include the service and conservancy charges (S&CC), table cleaning costs, and utilities like your gas and refuse removal fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The total monthly expenses could range from $10,000 to $20,000. Most of these costs differ across different cooked food, the needs of the hawker and the hawker centre itself. If you need more help in working your numbers, you can use the handy Hawker Business Calculator<\/a><\/em> by NEA to get an estimate of your monthly earnings before venturing into this business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read Also: <\/em><\/strong>How Much Does It Cost To Run A Hawker Stall In Singapore?<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A business seminar I once attended mentioned that successful businesses start off by using OPM \u2013 Other People\u2019s Money. In the case of aspiring hawkers, you could get to use Ah Kong\u2019s <\/em>(aka government) money to launch your hawker stall business. What can be sweeter than that? <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Incubation Stall Programme (ISP) was launched in 2018 to give more support to selected aspiring hawkers. They would be given incubation stalls pre-fitted with basic equipment and offered 50% off the market rent for the first nine months, followed by another six months at 75% off the market rent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Participants can test and refine their business plans and recipes with lower start-up costs. So, now you have no excuse for saying, \u201cmoney no enough<\/em>\u201d to start your hawker stall business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To qualify, applicants must be at least 18 years old and attend either the Introduction to Managing A Hawker Business course by Institute of Technical Education (ITE) or a similar course, or be a graduate of a business management course offered at a tertiary institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The process of bidding for a hawker stall is broken down into three easy steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 1: Know The Tender Period<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The tender period is usually from the 13th<\/sup> to 26th<\/sup> (10.30am) of every month. If the start or end date falls on a public holiday or a weekend, then it will commence or end on the next working day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 2: Check The Stalls That Are Available For Tender<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You may check on NEA\u2019s website<\/a> (Tender Notices) or from the notice board at NEA One-Stop Information and Service Centre (OSISC) at HDB Hub, East Wing #26-01.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 3: Submit Your Tender<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you like what you see and are ready to bid, then you need to submit the Form of Tender through the E-Tender system<\/a>. From 13 December 2023, the previous manual tender forms submission is replaced by the electronic tender. You would also need to make an online payment of $510 (comprising tender deposit of $500 and non-refundable processing fee of $10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to NEA, vacant stalls are awarded to the highest bidders. But that does not mean you need to outbid everyone else. Like some auction winners, you do not want to have buyer\u2019s remorse by bidding aggressively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To help you with your bidding, you may reference past winning bidders to have a sense on the rental rates paid by other stallholders at a specific hawker centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your bid is successful, you can expect to receive the letter of offer from NEA around three to four weeks after the close of the tender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You need to apply for your food stall licence ($32 per year x 3years) and should have completed your Basic Food Hygiene Course (BFHC) before you are allowed to run your hawker stall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thereafter, you would need to pay for the stall rental, the S&CC and table cleaning fees for the first month of the Tenancy Agreement. You will need to pay the stamp duty and place a deposit that is equivalent to two months\u2019 of rent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read Also: <\/em><\/strong>Complete Guide To F&B Licenses In Singapore \u2013 And How Much They Cost<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since 2012, new stallholders have not been allowed to sublet or assign their stall to others. So, if you think you can profiteer by bidding for someone else, drop that thought. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Given the various grants that are available for hawkers, aspiring hawkers have many avenues of help from the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Hawker\u2019s Productivity Grant (HPG), which was launched in 2017, is open to existing hawkers. It helps cooked food stallholders pay for kitchen automation equipment that may increase their productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eligible stallholders could claim 80% of the equipment costs on a reimbursement basis, capped at $7,000. The list of qualified automation equipment was expanded to include 24 types, such as food processors, automatic cookers, and electric fish scalers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Application Procedure<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike the other schemes, the HPG will only be available till 31 March 2026<\/strong>. So, if you are still on the fence about starting a hawker stall business, know that the clock is ticking on this grant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read Also: <\/em><\/strong>Hawkers Go Digital: How Hawkers Can Get $1,500 By Adopting A Unified SGQR For Cashless Payment<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting a hawker stall business now may be a better time than ever. After two years of restrictive safe management measures due to the coronavirus pandemic, Singapore is transiting to an endemic living. More vaccinated people are allowed to eat in bigger groups, which can only be a boost to the F&B industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover, with the median age of hawkers at 59 years old according to NEA<\/a>, we need more (young) hawkers to consider a career as a hawkerpreneur to preserve our UNESCO recognised hawker culture. It would be a shame to lose this cultural identity of ours in the decades to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that, let us pay homage to the past and present hawkers who have fed us with a gastronomical variety of affordable dishes. And here\u2019s toasting to your success!<\/p>\n\n\n\nEligibility Criteria:<\/strong> Singaporeans And Permanent Residents Above The Ages of 21, Are Eligible To Start A Hawker Stall Business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Complete The Food Safety Course Level 1<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Business Plan:<\/strong> Find Out What Your Speciality Is <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Choose The Location Of The Hawker Stall Based On Your Target Market<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Do Your Sums On The Running Costs Of Operating A Hawker Stall<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Government Schemes:<\/strong> Aspiring Hawkers Could Apply For NEA\u2019s Incubation Stall Programme To Start Their Business With Less Upfront Costs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bidding For A Stall:<\/strong><\/strong> Application Procedure<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Incubation-Stall-Programme.png\")
Three Steps To Bid For A Hawker Stall <\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Once Your Bid Is Successful, You Can Apply For Your Hawker Licence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You Cannot Sublet Your Stall To Others<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You Could Use The Hawkers\u2019 Productivity Grant To Buy Kitchen Automation Equipment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/productivity-grant.jpg\")
Now Is As Good A Time As Any <\/h3>\n\n\n\n