Singapore Pasar Malams Attract More Young Entrepreneurs

More young entrepreneurs are setting up pasar malam stalls to sell food and beverage items despite the many challenges of running the business. Pasar malams, or night markets in Malay, offer mostly a variety of popular food items such as burgers, prawn vadai, fish otahs and others, and clothing and mobile phone accessories to a lesser extent. Often located in the central heartland areas, pasar malams are rarely set up for an extended period of time.Despite the uncertainty of regular income, a new generation of vendors is jumping on the pasar malam bandwagon to have a taste of running a food business."We still have the old vendors selling burgers, kebabs, they've been with us for about 10 years. Those selling handphone (accessories) have been around for about seven years. Now, we have new (younger) kakis coming in," said a veteran operator of trade fairs, who wants to be known only as Jimmy.Why participate in a pasar malam?The young entrepreneurs that Yahoo Singapore spoke to are willing to challenge convention by offering novel food offerings at pasar malams and learn more about the F&B business.Pasar malams are often packed with people, giving younger vendors a chance for their food brands to gain wider exposure, said Muhammad Taha, 36, co-owner of The Fizzy Brothers, which offers beverages including fruity sodas, milkshakes, and iced teas."The problem with customers is that not many of them are willing to try new things. They stick to buying (popular) foods or the usual drinks like bandung or honeydew milk," said Taha, who set up the business with his 26-year-old brother, Abdul Kadir, three months ago.Still, the brothers have created the right formula with their Peanut Butter and Jelly Milkshake, who is a hit with their younger customers. They have been able to reach out to a bigger base of customers after having participated in a number of pasar malams at various locations.For Nur Firdiyanah, it was a chance to apply her academic knowledge in the pasar malam business after graduating from the Singapore Institute of Management with a degree in retail marketing.The 23-year-old started Banana N Cheese in March 2015, selling gorpis, or banana fritters topped with shaved cheese, after she noticed Singaporeans catching on the food fad while they were in Indonesia and Malaysia.As her home is in Woodlands, Firdiyanah typically participates in trade fairs in the north, which are closer to her home in Woodlands. Location is everything for the budding entrepreneur."I only participate in trade fairs that are located near MRT stations because these are the ones with the most people. I wouldn't pick the ones further in the neighbourhoods," she said.For Crystal Cheng, the 21-year-old owner of Churros by Bakes and Crafts, the flexibility of the business allows her to schedule her rest breaks, and she plans to go for a holiday in April.Challenges of the pasar malam businessVendors like Cheng often face the challenge of reaching out to their customers once their business is more established due to the fleeting nature of the pasar malam business."The typical challenge is that it's hard for people to find us. Right now, we're reaching out to the residents in the north. But our next trade fair is in Jurong, and that's too far for our customers in the north," said Cheng, who is a first-year business management student at the Singapore Management University.To diversify her business, Cheng has been selling her churros at events such as music festivals, and will participate at the upcoming River Hongbao food fair. She is also expanding her social media presence - her Instagram account currently has about 13,000 followers.Another challenge is that running the business can be physically taxing for vendors as they have to be on the move regularly."Having to continuously change our locations can be rather tiring. Thankfully, I have my brothers to help me with that," said Taha. For Firdiyana, she usually asks her family members for help with the moving.The lack of proper storage space at pasar malam stalls means that Cheng has to continuously shop and restock ingredients, cups and plastic bags.New entrants to the business are also at a disadvantage compared with established vendors, who enjoy close relationships with pasar malam organisers, Cheng revealed."Like this guy, he sells ice cream, and in every single pasar malam, almost 98 per cent of the places, he will be there. If he's selling churros, the organiser will tell me 'you can't sell churros'," she said.According to Jimmy, who operates three to four trade fairs in a month, business is not as good as before due to competition from nearby shopping malls.As such, the young vendors interviewed advised people who are planning to set up a business at pasar malams have to be willing to step out of their comfort zone."I get about four hours of sleep each day (when I run a stall), six if I'm lucky,' said Cheng.