Owner of Happy Chef Western Food retires abruptly, resulting in stall closure

Old yet timeless, but now no more. 

Happy Chef Western Food, a popular old-school hawker stall, located at Crawford Lane in Lavender has closed permanently.

Netizens were "saddened" to learn about the closure of the stall through a post on the Facebook group Hawkers United - Dabao 2020. It was noted that the owner had retired on Wednesday (June 14).

In the post, a photo of the store's front shows a sign saying "Stall For Rent", along with a phone number.

Though the stall's style of Western cuisine seemed old fashioned, it remained timeless and popular among customers who liked it for its affordability and generous portions, as seen on the Facebook Reviews. 

The stall may be gone but it has left a lasting impression on netizens, with some even going as far as to call it a "legend in our local food scene".

The news came as a shock to some as there was no indication that the stall was winding up, as seen in the comments section of the Facebook post.

Despite posting an update on their website stating that they will be closed from June 15 to 25, and set to reopen on June 26, calls to to the listed phone number on the stall's sign have confirmed that the elderly owner has retired.

In addition, the store is shown to be permanently closed on Google.

With over 450 Google reviews and a 4.5-star rating, the stall's popular dishes ranged from its pork kiev, mixed grill platter, and chicken and pork schnitzel.

Most of the reviews praised the stall for its cheap prices and short waiting time. One reviewer said: "Customer service was great! Short waiting time though it was packed!"

Though most netizens expressed their sadness about the stall's closure, some pointed out that it is a good thing that the elderly owner has decided to retire as he is now able to rest, and wished him a happy retirement. 

ALSO READ: Third-gen hawker quit his engineering job to continue family's 50-year-old stall, earns Bib Gourmand 2023

crystal.tan@asiaone.com

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