Honestly, I am not sure if we will survive this situation…”
“But if my business is going to die, I want to go out in a blaze of glory!”
Too fast? Okay, let’s go back to the beginning.
Meet Chef Pang Kok Keong
This handsome man chef is the chef-owner of mod French patisserie and salon Antoinette.
And just like any other F&B outlet in Singapore, he has been heavily affected by the Circuit Breaker (CB) measures (which looks like it might extend).
His business earnings have dropped by 75% which is ” terrifying” and they’re operating on less than two months’ cash-flow.
He even had to close his Millenia Walk outlet until further notice.
But That Didn’t Stop Him From Giving To The Needy
Since 9 Apr, he has been giving away 20 loaves of bread to charity.
He had initially wanted to leave the loaves at the Group’s Penhas Road location but decided not to after the restrictions were tightened and people are encouraged not to leave their homes.
Now, he passes the bread to volunteers from Food From The Heart and Beyond Social Services for distribution.
For days when volunteers were not able to pick up the bread, he’ll deliver them directly to the beneficiaries.
Reader Bao: Eh, why only twenty loaves…? That’s a bit stingy, don’t you think?
You have to remember that his business is also impacted heavily by Covid-19.
With the circuit breaker, he had to downsize his team by half. Some of them resigned while others were either retrenched while others were either given paid leave or made to go on unpaid leave.
His team is already stretched thin and the bread, he claims needed a lot of TLC.
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The dough has to be prepared the day before and they need 4 hours to bake the next day before they’re ready to be given out.
“I Would Rather Go Out With A Bang”
Now, you’ll think that a business owner with a business that’s dangerously close to going under, he’ll be too busy thinking for himself rather than others.
Well, you’ve thought wrong.
He admitted that his business might not have a chance of surviving this pandemic but if he has to go out, he wants to go out gloriously.
“But if my business is going to die, I want to go out in a blaze of glory!”
He adds that he’s sure that “there are other people who are in an even more dire situation than us”.
And by doing what they can, they hope to at least keep them fed for a meal or two.
If others were to be inspired to do the same, it could go a long way in helping the needy.
“Yes, we can do something else with that time.
“But if everybody thinks only for themselves then nobody will do anything for others!”
Meanwhile, he’s also hard at work trying to think of new ways to revive his business, including new takeaway items for his famous Hakka dishes.
You can now add a new hero to your list: F&B owners.
Other than Pang, there are a few more hawkers who, despite making lesser income, went on ahead to try and help without asking for a single cent in donations.
Instead, they’re asking people to spread the initiatives to people who really need help.