This 63-year-old hawker is selling his bak chor mee recipe for $500k, and there could be a taker

After slogging it out for 37 years, Lee Hwee Peng, the founder of Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle is planning on selling off the business and his recipe.

Despite its rather eye-watering asking price of $500,000, there has been interest, according to a Shin Min Daily News report. 

The hawker stall, located in Toa Payoh, is run by Hwee Peng, as well as his siblings and nieces. 

Hwee Peng's niece told the newspaper that one group of interested buyers emerged after the family announced their decision in a Facebook post on July 3. 

However, talks with them are still in the preliminary stages, she said.

Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle has made its name over the decades and is often associated with long queues. 

So, there should be no real surprise in Hwee Peng's asking price.

Both Hwee Peng and his niece have said that should they pass on the stall, the family will not interfere with how their successors run the business.

There is no strict deadline to find a successor so the stall will continue to operate for now. However, it may shorten operating hours so that the family can rest, Hwee Peng's niece said.

She also mentioned that a family meeting had helped Hwee Peng reach this final decision.

They noted that Hwee Peng and his siblings were getting older and with their physical strength on the wane, it would be best to slow down and rest.

"We can't cope with the amount of work and long hours, and it’s too busy [for us to handle any longer]. We’ve worked for so many years, so it's enough already now. Time to stop before we get too old," Hwee Peng also said in an interview with 8days.

As for his two daughters, they aren't interested in taking over the business. Both women are working in office jobs and have their own families.

According to Hwee Peng and his 49-year-old niece, many people nowadays are not willing to be hawkers as it is a job with long hours.

They added that hawkers have to start the day early to prepare their ingredients and even when the stall closes for the day, there's still cleaning to do.

Also, not many can get used to, or endure, a job that doesn't allow for holidays or family time on the weekends.

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