Brick-Mortar-Cloud Podcast
Season 2 Episode 6:
No Ads, No Budget: The Story of Champion Bolo Bun

Brick-Mortar-Cloud Podcast Episode 4

Loh Yi of Champion Bolo Introduction

E: Welcome to the Brick Motor Cloud Podcast, where we showcase about scaling, service of FMV and retail. This podcast is brought to you by StaffAny and Nila Studios.

I am Eugene, the other co-founder of StaffAny, and today we have for our guest, Loh Yi from the platform collective.

Hi Loh Yi.

L: Hello Eugene. Wow. Hi, yes. 

E: That’s a very energetic kind of a hi to me. But me Loh Yi, can you introduce yourself and how you started the business? 

L: Yeah, so my name’s Loh Yi, and I’m the founder and creative director of the Platform Collective.

And so we run Champion Bolo Bun, and we used to run Dickson Nasi Lemak, but we’ve seen sort of way that the brand earlier last year will share more as we dive into the podcast, but yeah.

Vision for the Business

E: Well, thanks for sharing on that. And Gee, Loh Yi, what’s the vision of your business? 

L: I think the main reason why I started or I dived into F&B is because I really liked the sense of community, meaning that I’ve always seen food is the same as music, even though it’s like K-pop, everyone might not know, understand Korean, but they seem to, the fan clubs and the community seems to understand and everyone, each other through music, and I see food the same way, like in the restaurants, I think, even though you look around, they might not be conversing directly, but they’re all communicating, like connecting through the food that they’re eating in the same venue, so I’ve always liked that. So going back into the vision of my business or the brands that I create, I really hope to create brands or food that are more accessible to people, that even whatever skin tone or whatever spending power you have, you can walk into our stores and you can afford something. That’s something that I really like and really hope to achieve, yeah. 

Influencer Marketing: 

The 6kg Bolo Bun

E: Thanks for sharing the vision of things, right, because whenever I go to the Champion Bolo Outlets, you can see there’s a lot of conversation going, everyone’s enjoying themselves a little bit. And speaking of this Champion Bolo Bun, recently you saw an eh- you have a very amazing collab, with some of the influencers, Zermatt, how did it go for you guys? 

L: Oh, it was, it’s great, I remember that day, so I think it’s the size of almost like 6kg pineapple bun. 

E: 6kg, wow.

L: So it’s like the world’s largest Bolo Bun ever, and it was crazy because I think he shared with me that it’s one of the toughest challenge he’s ever done, so I felt really bad about it, but I hope he feels better now, but yeah, it was great. 

L: He had to go to the bathroom. So I think before we kind of like, ended the shoot, I already signaled my team to like block off the bathroom, so he can use it right after the shoot. 

I felt so bad because he was in there for like, I think over like 10, 15 minutes, and then he had to rush to, I think, Mediacorp for another radio interview afterwards, so he’s amazing man. I don’t know how he does this, but he did it. 

E:  It makes you 26kg, so maybe for Zermatt, if you’re listening to this, maybe you can try the 12kg of a Bolo Bun for your next challenge. 

How Impactful has Influencer Marketing Been for Champion Bolo Bun?

E: Maybe for the audience who are listening to this for F&B owners and staff, I want to also point out, actually, how impactful has the influencer marketing been for you, ever since you’ve tried it? 

L: Yep, I think for something that we’re really, really grateful for is that during, I think the first six months through a year that our business started for Champion Bolo, we actually spent zero dollars on marketing, zero dollars in influencer marketing, and back then we actually were very lucky in the sense that it was one of the peak seasons of COVID, and a lot of influencers came to us, and they did a lot of free marketing for us, because back then I think there were not a lot of new entries to the market, because it was COVID, no one was starting anything, and we were one of the very few who started during COVID, and all the influencers came, and we instantly went viral. 

So I think, first off, is that definitely influencer marketing helps with the business, it drives traffic to your business, but if you’re speaking about the long-term success or sustainability of the business, definitely influencer marketing is not the key point, because after all, you have to understand that you are a food establishment, what you’re selling is the quality of your food to your customers, and customers are not stupid, customers are getting smarter and smarter, and the real key success to a sustainable food business is not marketing, it’s the quality of your food. 

E: Yeah, and I think what you shared also, speak to most of our viewerships, because it’s not only about acquisition, but it’s about how can we retain the customers, because for those it’s actually the more important question. 

L: Yeah, it’s very important. Customer retention is one of the most important element of a business, very, very important. 

Customer Retention Strategies

E: Any kind of key strategies you guys use on the retention front?

L: I think one thing that we recently pushed out, just a couple months ago, is something we call a Stamp card membership. So basically it’s like on, let’s say you’re using an iPhone, and then you have the wallet, right? And one of the wallets has a Stamp card, where I think every $15 is spent, you get Stamp, then you accumulate, and then you have different tiers, basic tier or upper tier, and then you have different rewards, and all these, I would say, all these initiatives that we’re doing is in hope to get more customer acquisition and retention, actually. Yeah. 

E: I think that why were you sharing something that’s very interesting on the retention front, because nowadays we do see more and more F&B’s trying on this kind of retention strategy, getting people to come back with any customers and stuff. What I’d like to find out right, ever since you wrote this out, what has the retention rate increased?

L: I think in terms of retention rate, because right now it’s still less than three months, so obviously when you look at data, you have to look at it after three months, and then you can gauge whether it’s a successful launch or not but so far we’ve received many very positive feedbacks, because something that we’re very thankful about is that I think one of the reasons why I really love F&B’s that I’ve always wanted to create a lifestyle brand, meaning that people can come in every other day, and it’s not just a one-time thing, and then just post IG and it will never come back. 

We have many regulars, and ever since we pushed this out, I think it really has kind of given our regulars further trust, or I would say, it increased the traffic where regulars are more prompt to come in, because they are like, oh wow, there’s this Stamp card that would trigger a notification when they’re nearby in the neighborhood, and it will remind them that, oh, Champion Bolo Bun is nearby, and then they walk in and buy something. So I think we’ve received many positive feedbacks. 

The Acquisition of Dickson Nasi Lemak

E: I think you guys are doing good in this, because you can see the brand really growing, especially by Dickson Nasi Lemak, and stuff, and this leads me to the next question, I think a lot of the viewership is also very interesting to hear, it’s like, so how did that acquisition on Dickson, Nasi Lemak go? Happened now. How did it happen, yeah? 

8:28

L: Okay, so now it’s 2025, right? Earlier last year, like, January 2024, so what happened was that, like, just one random day, I remember I was at home, and I received a phone call, and I received a phone call from this person, 

I’m not gonna name drop, but basically they have over, like, 100 outlets, they run their F&B group, and they reached out to me because they wanted to initiate, like, a potential partnership, you know, to potentially open, like, over 2,000 square feet of flagship for Dickson, Nasi Lemak, and at a point in time, I was in talks with a potential franchisee for Dixon, Nasi Lemak already, and, you know, when I got this call, you know, as we dive further into the discussion, their term to want to proceed with this potential partnership was that they needed my involvement in it, which was something that I could not give, which was my time, basically I was like, oh, you know, wow, like, such a big group would, is interested in working with Dixon, Nasi Lemak, and that kind of, like, kicks off at my thought process in, you know, potentially working out something else that is not franchising, the brand only, with Dixon, Nacilima, and as mentioned earlier, you know, we were already in talks with a potential group of franchisees, and as we were preparing and diving deeper into the process, the planning process, I found it very, like, there was a lot of workload because, and a lot of responsibilities involved, because the group of franchisees back then, they were prepared to quit their job for over 10 years, and they had, like, children and kids, you know, family, kids to feed, and to do Dickson, Nasi Lemak, and I felt that, you know, I couldn’t fail them lah, and it’s really a huge responsibility on my end, so I was like, hmm, if I cannot give him my 101% of my time, then why not, you know?

L: I cannot be so selfish, and then I spoke to the potential franchisees, and I was like, hmm, would you want to consider taking over the brand instead? Yeah, so that was how the whole acquisition started. Yeah. 

E: Wow, so it just started from a normal chat with, like, other potential acquirers, and then, just like the closest people that is just beside you is the one that– Yeah, it’s, yeah.

And what are your key considerations in eventually deciding to have, hey, you guys, come on, I mean, a collab with me, right? 

L: Yeah, so actually, the main reason why, you know, I decided to let go my second baby, which is Dickson, Nasi Lemak, was because I wanted to, you know, dive into a new sector in the F&B, which is something called QSR, yeah, which stands for quick service restaurants, and I think, like I mentioned earlier in our conversation, the reason why I even dive into F&B in the very first place is because I’ve always liked the sense of community, and I’ve always wanted to sell food that is really, that can really cater to people four meals a day, which was breakfast, lunch, dinner, and supper, and I felt like with my current brands, I’m unable to do so, so that’s why, you know, QSR is really something that I’ve really wanted to go into, and, you know, at the very same time last year, when we’re in the midst of all these, acquisition, the R&D side was getting more and more serious, and I was like, you know what, if I have to, like, put in my 101% into this new QSR, then I cannot be too greedy, you know, I have to let go of one, so that’s why I had to let go of my second baby, which was Nasi Lemak. 

E: That must be a really tough decision to make. 

L: Yeah, it is. I mean, I had that baby for, like, over two years, so definitely, definitely very tough, yeah. 

Loh Yi’s F&B Journey

Toughest Moments in Loh Yi’s F&B Journey

E: Right, and just want to share that, you know, you run multiple brands and stuff, but maybe just to learn a bit more during your entire F&B journey, QSR is your toughest moment then?

L: My toughest moment? 

I can’t really pinpoint, like, just one, you know, incident, because I feel like, even as a founder yourself, I believe that, you know, every day we wake up, we’re here to solve problems.So in terms of challenges, it’s like, it’s just our job, man, we’re like a firefighter, we wake up every day, and then the first thing is that we have to, you know, change our mindset, is that, okay, we’re here to solve problems today, before every work day. 

So that’s why I can’t pinpoint, like, just one challenge, but I think overall, in terms of the toughest thing would be to set the right mindset, meaning that it’s like, as a business owner, you often get, hit by challenges, it’s like a hammer on your head, like, every day. You have to, like, get back up, and, you know, be strong at your core, and be like, you know what? 

Like, this is the vision, and this is, you know, what I want to do for my team, like, I have to be strong. You know, and yet, to do that every single day, that determination, I think that is the toughest thing, because it’s beyond physical already. It’s mental too. 

E: Yeah, it’s all the mental stuff, because optimally, you are the person leading the entire team. 

L: Yes, yes, really, yeah. So, like, you know, everyone’s, like, relying on us, and it’s so important that, you know, sometimes the team, they spend time with us more than they spend time with their other half of their family. 

E: Yeah, probably about 40, 50% of their time. 

L: Yeah, so that’s why it’s really very important to take responsibility over it, and also to really build a great future for the team.

On Serving Our Teammates Better

E: And that’s very nice of you, of thinking this way, right, because it’s like, people talk about server leadership and stuff, and it’s always about, how can we serve our teammates better? So when they perform better, everyone’s also happy. 

L: Yeah, and also teamwork is what keeps the dream work.

The Most Challenging Aspects of Running a Business

E: Love that amazing quote, man. So for those of you who are listening, teamwork makes the dream work. Right, and also what is one of the most challenging aspects of your running a business that other people wouldn’t know?

L: I think actually when you asked me the question, right, the first answer came up to my head, which everyone knows already, is people. For people, 

E: okay, come share me more of it.

L: Yeah, which is perfect for our podcast, which is, I think, even in Singapore, because I feel like with the dynamics of, you know, the F&B hospitality scene in Singapore, staff turnover has always been very high, and it happens very often in every other establishment.

So I think this is definitely the first thing, which is, you know, how do we constantly upgrade, like benefits, packages to help with staff retention? So I think that’s the number one thing, because, you know, wow, like, especially with all the new brands coming in, foreign brands coming in, you know, they have a lot of financial power with staff acquisition. So this is something that is very tough, but working hard to upgrade still. 

E: Yeah, of course there is. So many of our non-exers nowadays, like, I mean, a lot of all these stuff, like casual labour, salaries and stuff, are over-transparent, right? Yes, yes. What? Just to keep all the foreign brands coming in, how do you overcome that? 

L: I think we just gotta deal with it. Meaning that, I think in terms of our company,

I think there are a few things that we push out to hopefully help with staff retention. I think the first thing is that we do monthly sales incentives. And second thing would be, I would say our overall, at least January 2025, I would say we pay our team higher than market rate. 

And third is that when you look at your P&L, the budgeting for our staff salary is always something that we cannot save. It’s something that we cannot cut back on. Because for example, if you cut back on staff, you have to understand that we are people business. 

Who are the people, or who are the group of people who turn up to work everyday to run the shift? It is them. So this is something that we can’t cut back on. Every other, obviously food quality cannot, but every other aspects. But food quality and staff benefits is something that we cannot cut back on. So that’s the third thing. 

And fourth thing would be that, I think we also do annual bonuses. And at the moment, so far, in terms of OT, this is something that we’re very strict about. That we do not encourage our team to OT. So that’s why I would say that in terms of operations, staff at the moment, it’s something that I would say, they still get to be off two days a week, eight days a month. And I would say they still clock out work on time.

KPIs and Metrics

E: Based on what I’m hearing, I think the key things here is not just only helping on the financial sense, you’re just thinking a lot for your people, right? That’s why maybe you’re thinking about how to plan your shifts better, to try to reduce head count of a necessary OT. How do you say it? Yes. Got it. 

So I wanted to also find out, right? It’s also one of the most popular thing in this podcast section, right? To share more insights and predictions. So I wanted to find out, are you guys a very metrical kind of business? Do you guys track KPIs?

L: Okay, so frankly speaking, the first year, didn’t even know what was KPI. No, actually the first two years. 

Into the business, we didn’t have all these appraisals in KPIs, whatnot. We didn’t have all these structures in the company. But yes, to answer your question, yes. Now we do have regular appraisals, structures in place, and KPIs to brief the management team. So we do have all these structures in place now. 

Regularly Tracked KPIs

E: Any KPIs that you guys know, usually track on a week, on one on one basis? 

L: There are a few aspects that we track on the weekly slash monthly basis. First thing would be definitely on the financial side. The financial side of things, where, let’s say there’s a percentage of every aspect of the budget allocated, and briefed to the management team. And then they just got to track on the weekly basis in order to hit it within the range given on a monthly basis. 

So definitely we do have all these plans in place, and structures in place. 

E: So you guys are actually quite metrical already now, since you guys are tracking this on one on one, because a lot of people still struggle to even, even a breakdown where are all the costs, or where are all the revenue coming from?

L: Yeah, it’s very important. 

Rental in Tanjong Pagar

E: But maybe how you guys think about rental then? Because you guys are not at Tanjong Pagar. 

L: Yes. 

E: Not at the cheaper space also.

L: But we were very lucky, because I think when we started in Tanjong Pagar,

it was one of the peak seasons of COVID. You know, when it was, because the stretch that we’re located in is Tanjong Pagar Road, and it’s filled with Korean restaurants, Japanese restaurants. So it’s very like restaurant dining base. And at that point in time, no one wanted to rent. I mean, all the restaurants were closing down and basically there was more supply over demand. And at that point in time, we were very lucky because we got a very good deal.

Yeah, so, and we managed to sign like a long three plus three years. So I think we’re very lucky in that sense. Yeah. 

E: Tanjong Pagar is pretty hot area. 

L: Yes.

Is Paying More for More Footfall Worth It?

E: But based on your experience right now, we know being at a hot area, right? In the future, when you open a new F&B outlet, that we will be willing to pay higher rent for higher footfall, obviously, more conservative or more calculated in terms of choosing an expensive rental area. 

L: I think to answer your question is that, I think it really depends on your business model, meaning that if you’re looking for a mass and you’re looking to scale up, definitely you have to pay up a higher price tag for higher traffic locations. 

But if, let’s say you are just, you’re looking to open just one location, that it might not be the most ideal to dive into a place with high traffic and high rental because you don’t have the volume, yeah, to play with the rental. (Laughs) 

Labour Efficiency Ratios and Managing Costs

E: There’s something we talked about, there’s something about a bit of the rental because one of the biggest calls in F&B, right? Yes. And how about labor then, do you guys have any particular labor efficiency ratio you guys track or sales per labor hour? 

L: So to answer your question is that, so in terms of our budget allocation, labor is actually one of the highest. Yeah, as mentioned, it’s something that we really cannot save. So I would say we are at a range of 30 to 35%. Okay, okay. Yeah, of our revenue. (Laughs) 

E: Oh, okay. Yes. Yeah, that should be a benchmark. Yes.

Okay, then I think about opening new stores and stuff, when you decide to open a new store, like open profitable store first, how do we think about it? Because you guys are thinking about QSRs and stuff. Yes.

I would say this is just my own personal take, but when it comes to food, I think oftentimes, let’s say when it comes to, men, you are creating, curating a menu, right? And you’re curating the menu prices. I think oftentimes people, they think about their margin first.But on my take is that, I think it’s very important to first understand your customers, meaning for this kind of food, like what is the market price strategy in the market? And how much, or what’s the usual average price that customers or the mass market are willing to pay for this? 

So I think for me is that when it comes to menu creation or price, pricing strategy, I think you have to first think about your customers first instead of your margin. So this is something that is very important that you think about as you’re conceptualizing your food business, that you have to think about your customers and not think about, oh, how much this business or this brand will, how much money it will make? 

Because you have to understand that after all, this is a people business, this is a food business, and who you’re selling to are your customers, are the customers. And if you don’t have the volume, even if you have very high margins, no one’s, what if no one buys? Then there is no traffic, there’s no volume who’s buying your products. 

The Starting Price Point for F&B

E: I think what you say speaks true for many of our businesses trying to think about customers first and stuff.

If someone were to start an F&B, how would you probably advise them on how to validate this product, that this is money in this area, what should be the price point? What should be the price point now?

L: So I think when it comes to starting a food business, I think first of all, you have the first thing about like USP lah, what differs you from the market, like the current supply that they have in the market right now. And then, okay, you have a USP already, then you look into starting a food business. And after you start into food business, let’s say maybe, let’s say you’re selling, for example, fish and chips, you might have your own USP line in terms of the special fish batter, et cetera, but then you look into the market, like how much is the average pricing for this fish and chips? 

And then you look into, oh, okay, so this is the highest that the current, let’s say competitor A, they’re selling for fish and chips, that’s the highest price in Singapore, for example, and competitor B, that is the lowest price that they are selling. And then you look into which market positioning you want to go into. Is your branding going to be mid-tier, mass market tier, low tier, or high end? Then you look into pricing your product lah. 

E: Yeah, so I think that, why do we try to take the spectrum out of the lowest and the highest, so at least to the most quality, and then try to identify where you want to position yourself. 

L: Yes, yes, it’s very important that, for example, before you start the food brand, you have to first understand, like, for example, am I opening a high end restaurant? Then if yes, then okay, you know that competitor A, this is the highest price point that they have for this fish and chip, and then I follow this price point, or I go even higher. Yeah, so that’s how I look at things.

Digital Transformation in F&B

E: Thanks for sharing that. Just now you mentioned a lot, doing this on a podcast, talk about rental, talk about cost, talk about how your brands were acquired. The next thing I also wanted to learn from you is that, what’s your take on digital transformation in the F&B business?

L: Yeah, so important. 

E: I’ve shared it with you more, yeah. 

L:I think at the very, even before we started Dickson Nasi Lemak with just one outlet, which was Champion Boulevard, we already started using HR systems and cloud accounting software, et cetera, to help with our business, because I feel like as a food business, if all these paperwork could be digitalized and I could save time and focus on people management, focusing on product, why not? I feel like looking at this way, we can help with, we can focus on just scaling the brand or the company instead of just getting into all this– 

E: Yeah, your headspace is actually more important to grow the business and all these manual admin ties. 

L: Yeah, because everyone only has 24 hours a day, so if you don’t burn out your stuff, you also have to invest in all these initiatives, 

E: I think it’s very forward thinking mindset. Coincidentally about you, but also how can you amplify your stuff to do more meaningful work? Yes. 

Product Shoutouts

E: And is there any one or two products that you’d like to know, do a shout out, as yes, make your life better?

L: Oh, we use Notion. Oh, okay, okay, that’s cool. Love Notion, yes, so shout out to two platforms that we use, the first is Notion, love Notion, and second is Xero, yeah, that company’s software. 

E: Oh, yeah, I guess that’s a bit advanced, I seldom hear FMB people using Notion.

L: I guess thanks to my colleague, yes, shout out to my colleague who’s in charge of tech, Kerwin. Okay, so Kerwin, shout out to you for being so tech-savvy. Yes, yes.

On Juggling Business with Her MBA

E: Okay, so I think now we are moving on to the final section of our sharing. But maybe before that, I think something that is very different about you compared to the rest is that I heard that you are starting an MBA or running your F&Bs, Nick? Yes. How do you do that? How do you even manage your time with that? 

L: I think first of all is that I’m no superwoman. It’s not like I’m more than 24 hours a day, and I can do so many things. My thing in life, you must always, when you get something, you lose something. 

So in terms of my MBA is that when I embark on this MBA journey, then what I lose is time with friends, time with family, so it’s really a give and take. Yeah. 

E: I must say I’m a super, I would say, stringent, not super, discipline, but I’m management to build a job goal of this. 

L: I would say discipline, very important, yeah, because it’s like with MBA, because all of us are adults, right? We’re taking down this course, and as we’re doing assignments and project work, it’s really like on time, on target. So yeah, it’s really, discipline is very important. Yeah.

Rapid Fire Questions

E: All right, so now we are moving on to the final section of our sharing, which is a rapid fire questions. Oh, okay. This is a fun part, you know, and I’ll ask a question and you can just reply in at one sentence. I hope I can keep up with it. Okay, who is someone in the industry that you think that you know, you follow and learn a lot from? 

L: How to say, it’s super common in the pop culture, but I would say I really like Steve Jobs. Oh. Yeah, because I think I was really inspired by his campaign, like “Think Different”, even my wallpaper, it’s a “Think Different” wallpaper, but the reason why is because, you know, I think even though F&B might seem very mundane, you know, like a new concept popping up, people might think that, oh, it’s, oh, like the market already had this, et cetera, but to me, you know, one of the reasons why I take on the creative director role in the company is because I want to come up with something that’s very different. 

For example, you know, like Champion Bolo Bun, we are the world’s first Bolo Bun concept, you know, and with the two other new QSR brands that we’re curating, can’t share too much at the moment, but also something that has never been seen before in the market. So I really, yeah, so I really, you know, admire how Steve Jobs, you know, brought really a different change to the whole like tech industry. So I think this is someone that I really admire. 

E: Nice. And we’ll be looking forward to the change that you’re bringing to the FMB industry as well. Hopefully, yeah.

Right, then what is one piece of advice you wish that someone had given you when you were just starting out? 

L: I really live by this code, it’s where when you lose something, you gain something. So I came across this code through a show that I was watching. And then there was this like sentence that he said, and why I feel like, you know, I wish someone told me this earlier was because I think in the first few years of my career, I took a lot of things like personally, meaning that, you know, a lot of things, you know, for example, let’s say I lose it on this business deal, like I took it very personally and it would hit quite hard on myself.

But when I look at this code, it kind of reframed my thoughts, meaning that, you know, let’s say I lose out on this business deal, but what I gain, I do actually gain something, I gain more time, you know, and more time I could use this time to focus on, you know, things that I love, my family, my friends, or like just do nothing and re-book, you know? 

So if you always live by this code, you don’t take things so personally anymore, you know, let’s say you have a bad day and you lose out on this deal, but just think about the things they gain and then you feel better about it. 

E: That’s a very nice piece of advice, right, of course, it’s not always the highs, but there are also many lows. Yes, yes. But how can you make the lows feel that, hey, there’s progress in every low? 

L: Yes, so to add on to that is that, you know, if you lose out on something, but maybe the things that you gain, let’s say it’s not time, but it’s, let’s say lessons, yeah, and then you gain new knowledge from this. Yeah, gain much more. Yeah, and then so if you constantly look into, okay, what have I gained from this failure? You feel so much happier.

E: Nice, nice. Yeah, the next question would be more interesting for you, but make it imagine yourself like 10 to 10 years down the road. Okay. You have a son or daughter who wants to join the F&B industry. Oh, okay. What advice will you give to him or her? 

L: I would say, first of all, is, do sales. Do sales? Yes, I mean, if I have a kid, I would definitely push them. First job experience is do sales, really. Because I think sales, being a sales person, would really shape your character, meaning that being a business owner, like I mentioned earlier, it’s something that you, it’s like, you have to wake up every day and believe in your vision, and this is more than just passion anymore, it’s determination. 

So, going back into why being a sales person is something that would be the first advice I would push my kid to do, is because if you’re, when you’re doing sales, you’ll be faced by a lot of rejections, and a lot of negativity. 

And during his or her experience as a sales person, you get to meet many different kind of people too. And in terms of communication, there will be really no help with your future ventures or work. So that’s why, yeah, I think first thing, I’ll push them to be a sales person first before venturing to their owner, FNB. (Laughs) 

E: Yeah, that’s not very conventional form. Parents ask their kids to do sales. 

L: Yeah, so that’s the first thing. And the second thing would be to work in a couple of FNB companies, slash restaurants first, before venturing to your own. Because I think it’s as much as, let’s say, this restaurant might not be something that, for example, let’s say your vision is to open just a hawker stall.

But still, please go work in a high-end restaurant, even if it’s not similar to what you want to do. It’s because at least you see things from a different like, see how they run things. And then that will really also shape the perspective on how you ultimately want to run the business. Yeah, so I think these are the two advice. 

E: So it looks like FNB, looks like your kid would be a good fit for a StaffAny. 

E: (Laughs) Okay, so you also wanted to find out, if let’s say you have a good friend, or maybe for yourself, if you were to dine at your own restaurant, what is the perfect meal you order for yourself?

L: Okay, I think right now, because after we sold off the brand, at the moment, we only operate Champion Bolo Bun. So at Champion, it’s always the same for me. It’s just the classic with butter and the ice milk tea. 

Yeah, so I feel like this is like a perfect match that can never go wrong. 

E: Oh, so it would be like the 6KG–

L: Oh no, no, no, no. Oh, just yeah. Nice, but okay.

E: Thanks for sharing all this, so that people who are not at the Tanjong Pagar area can always feel free to drop by the Champion Bolo Bun to just get some bond and some drinks. And then, how should people who know who’s interested in your brand follow you? 

L: Yep, so our IG for Champion Bolo Bun is Champion Flagship. You can just key in the word Champion and Flagship together on IG will find us. And the next brand that we are venturing into, the IG handle is called Don’tRunAway.official. 

E:  Wow, Don’tRunAway. Yes, so that’s the new name for our new venture. I can see the IG handle coming out from your creative roots. (Laughing) Yeah.

E: Got it, got it. Can, are you willing to offer one mentorship coffee session with an inspiring F&B entrepreneur? 

L: I mean, of course, I’ve always wanted to connect with more F&B owners, especially people who have yet to start or just started. I would love to have a chat with them to see how we can connect better and help them. 

E: That’s amazing. Then you can always join our monthly gathering. Network event.

L: Yes, yes, have been there already. Guys can go. It’s very helpful. You build a lot of good network. 

E: Thanks for the positive shout out. Yeah, so I think, thanks for offering your time here. Now we have come to the end of the podcast. Any parting words or they don’t want to share the listeners, right? Or what they can look out for in the F&B in the next six months? 

L: In the next six months. 

E: Any kind of trend that you are seeing?

L: I hope it can be us. I hope our brand can bring some sort of value to the customers in Singapore. Yeah, so keep a lookout, I guess. 

For those who are listening, keep a lookout to what Louis is going to come up for. Sometimes when she’s in the outlet, proof you to drop by and say hi to her. Yes, yes. Okay, Louis, thanks so much for having this session. Very honored to have you here. And I’ll see you guys next time. Bye bye. Okay, bye bye. 

(Upbeat Music)