#607 ft. Hawker Faye Sai - Blame Singaporeans for the End of Hawker Culture?

Jan 8, 2025

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This past November, the topic of saving hawker culture was fiercely debated in Parliament, and while we discussed it in YLB 588, we wanted to hear directly from an actual hawker who knows the issues on the ground. And we got more than we bargained for, in this deep dive with Faye Sai, a THIRD-generation young hawker running the chain Coffee Break. We got answers to all the burning questions that left us vexed before, like: why aren’t we doing more to train young hawkers? Who bids $7000 for a hawker stall (she did)? We also learnt why we only have ourselves to blame for the death of hawker culture… with some important caveats!

(00:00) Tell You First
(00:56) Intro
(03:16) Hawker Business Journey
(05:23) Family Background and Business Involvement
(21:41) Discussion on Hawker Economics
(26:39) Structural Issues and Solutions
(27:22) Hawker Centers vs. Private Coffee Shops
(37:10) Passion and Relationship in Hawker Culture
(45:25) Foreign Influence and Evolving Food Culture
(54:35) Government and Hawker Centers
(56:15) Social Responsibility
(01:02:37) The Narrative Around Hawker Life
(01:11:17) Coffee Break's Business Viability
(01:12:17) Youth Perspectives on Hawker Life
(01:22:11) Social Media and Content Creation
(01:23:22) One Shiok Thing

Find Faye and Coffee Break here!

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One Shiok Thing

Mics and Headphones from @shure

Chairs from @ergotunechair

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Edited and mixed by Tristen Yeak