When the Covid-19 hits, no one was spared.
Not even celebrities.
And now, another celebrity has closed down his popular Teochew restaurant and said doing so helps him sleep better now.
Chen Shucheng Shut Down His Restaurant Due to COVID-19 & Can ‘Sleep Better Now’
This is Chen Shucheng, a well-known veteran actor in Singapore.
But one thing you might not know about him is that he has a Teochew restaurant, Teochew City, and a chain of successful vegetarian stalls.
Starting Slowing Down In Feb 2020
Since his restaurant opened back in June 2018, it has been steadily gaining popularity and has a steady stream of customers.
But when Feb 2020 hit, his restaurant started seeing a dip in revenues.
On 26 Mar, the government mandate that all tables must be spaced 1-metre apart.
His restaurant, which can originally only house 10 tables, found the number of tables reduced to 5.
That’s half of his revenue gone.
Then, the ban on dining in came in and his business saw an even worse dip.
Teochew dishes, to him, is something that must be eaten with “family and friends” straight out of the kitchen.
“Everyone knows the essence of Teochew cuisine is all about enjoying the dishes fresh out of the kitchen with your friends and family. It’s not like noodles or kway teow, which can be easily served for takeaway. If you splurge on a steamed pomfret, you’d want it to be the best. If you tapow it home, it will start to have a [fishy pong] when it’s not fresh, and it really deteriorates when you reheat it.”
Decides To Close Before It’s Too Late
After discussion with his shareholders, they decide to close the restaurant for good.
The business was breaking even so they were not making a loss when they closed.
This way, he added, they will be in a better position if they want to make a comeback after the situation improves.
As long as the mountain is green, there will be firewood (a Chinese proverb that means as long as there is life, there will be hope).
After closing the restaurant, he claims that he can now sleep better at night.
As for whether he will open another restaurant, he said it was a possibility.
We can still work on our food and open another restaurant next time. Singaporeans like light, refreshing food, so there’s a market for Teochew cuisine.”
Legendary Vegetarian Still Legendarily Surviving
Chen co-owns a chain of vegetarian stalls in food courts called Legendary Vegetarian.
And so far, they’ve been living up to their name by surviving and thriving in these challenging times.
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He said that the three outlets (two at Hougang and one in Woodlands) have been enjoying a “steady stream of customers”.
This was helped in part by the “hardworking Malaysian staff” who didn’t go home during MCO.