INTERVIEW: Souperstar's the Hong Sisters, Wei Ting & Wei Ling on preserving heritage

SINGAPORE — I reached out for an interview with Hong Wei Ting and Hong Wei Ling, the sisters behind Souperstar, partly because I quite liked their product offerings at one of their newest outlets at Compass One. If you’ve never had their Fusion Popiah, might I recommend the ‘Seafood Wasabi Mayo’ that comes with fresh prawns and tuna chunks rolled with greens and toothsome wasabi mayo? It reminds me of a burrito, but with fewer commitments, making it a perfect treat for a light lunch. I am, in fact, having one right now, to, you know, get in the mood for this article.

But food aside, I’ve always been curious how family members can run a business together without damaging familial ties. It’s already tough between friends, what more the perennial and unbroken relations of family. In this interview, Wei Ting and Wei Ling share what it’s like to be sisters first and business partners immediately after, both scions of a family enterprise that’s finding the sweet spot between preserving heritage and standing out amongst Singapore’s opportunistic F&B industry.

Zat Astha: How would you describe what you do to someone you're meeting for the first time?

Hong Wei Ting: “Hi, I’m Wei Ting, and I sell popiah and soups”. And curiosity will hit them when they ask “popiah?” because it would seem kind of weird for a young person to be selling this traditional food. I then will explain that I’m working in a F&B family business.

Hong Wei Ling: Have you heard of Fortune Food? We sell DIY popiah sets and DIY kueh pie ti, amongst other things—this is my family business. I handle aspects of the company pertaining to design, digitisation, and compliance issues.

What does the word 'heritage' mean to you?

WT: Heritage to me means a valuable asset from the previous generations that can be tangible and intangible. In the case of Fortune Food, it would undoubtedly be the craft of making popiah skin (intangible) and the popiah itself (tangible), both a valuable hawker heritage food of Singapore.

WL: For me, heritage is something important that is passed down through generations. It’s about preserving and keeping something precious alive, be it food or an architectural style, or else it will be lost forever. If we do not reinvent popiah, it could cease to exist. We need to keep up with the changing taste buds and be relevant to current times.

What has been the biggest sacrifice you have made in this F&B journey that you have never told anyone about?

WT: I’d say that the biggest sacrifice happened during my childhood till my teenage years. I don’t have a “normal” childhood where parents typically spend family time with their kids; my parents work long hours every day. We hardly see them at home when we were in primary school.

Helping out in the hawker store was a normal thing to do over weekends and holidays. The same goes for the time in secondary school, where classmates can often have their own free time to hang out or have activities together. I’m usually unable to do most of that due to the need to help out with the family business.

Being in a more challenging and ‘harsher’ environment since young made me mature way ahead of my peers. In my younger days, I don’t have friends with whom I can share my difficulties and struggles because they don’t experience the same thing. The psychological impact of having a tough childhood is real, but it made me more resilient from a very young age. When I grew older, I grew to appreciate and am grateful that I made an early entrance into the industry and learn the ropes—the accumulated experiences are great building blocks towards our venture of Souperstar.

What was the worst thing anyone had said, that you can recall, when you first toyed with the idea of setting up Souperstar, and how did you react to what they said?

WL: There was no negativity because this was within the family, and we were genuinely looking for alternative business opportunities to continue the popiah legacy. We felt that popiah, a healthy wrap with many fresh ingredients in the hawker scene, is undervalued and can be hard to sustain in the long run. We have to think out of the box and reinvent. Hence in 2015, we took the leap of faith into introducing a mix of popiah and soups under the concept brand Souperstar.

“Popiah only, full meh?” This is the most common reaction we received after introducing what we serve at Souperstar. Initially, we had to convince customers to try, and if it is not filling, we recommend adding another roll. But after they tried it, they’d say, “Wah, didn’t expect, actually quite filling hor.”

We have been in the heartland for many years, so taking Souperstar into Guoco Tower in the CBD was a big step. As the next generation taking over our parents' trade, we are determined to preserve this heritage and legacy of taste. We are happy that our food has been well-liked by the lunch crowd at Guoco Tower.

Looking back, what is the one thing you'd do differently in your journey as a food entrepreneur?

WT: To be honest, I probably will not do anything differently in terms of my upbringing and experiences because with every incident that happened, good or bad, there is something that I can learn from it and make the next venture a better one with all the lessons learnt. Exceptionally so when we have very supportive parents throughout the journey, empowering and guiding us relentlessly. We were never told to give up or find other corporate job opportunities just because F&B is a harsh industry. We were always encouraged and motivated with every challenge that comes. We have a very uplifting culture in our family. I consider myself very lucky.

So yes, I would not have wished for a smooth sailing journey or to do anything drastically different other than probably allowing myself to network with more people in the industry despite my young age to learn from many other successful food entrepreneurs.

Now that you've worked with your sister for a period of time, what advice would you give to another F&B entrepreneur keen on working on a business with a family member?

WT: Working with family can be challenging, especially in an SME setting where roles tend to overlap. But I guess as long as we have our boundaries and work scopes set out clearly, we will minimise conflicts and be aligned to the business goals. For example, my sister is in charge of the aesthetic, design, and marketing aspects of business, while I head the operations and financial side. We respect each other for our expertise and decision making.

WL: Respecting the field of expertise is the most vital. It is only with respect that you can develop a good synergy. Without respect, everything you do can be counterproductive, and every day can be a pain. You get frustrated because others don’t value your expertise. Respect creates an environment where everyone can thrive, work productively, be less calculative, and it will manifest in the work that the team produces.

WT: For those who want to start a new business with a family member, my advice is to treat it as a business from day one. For example, ensuring that you are working together based on skills and capabilities match and not purely due to “kinship or family relations”. Incorporating the business, deciding on the nature of the company, and setting out shareholder structure are essential steps to get right from the start.

List out clear roles and responsibilities of each member and, more importantly, reach a consensus on each other’s salaries. Being paid is important, even though most people will feel that initially, there is no need to talk about money when things are so passion-driven. Burnout happens after many months down the road, and conflict will often arise if one is not remunerated for their efforts.

When you look at the state of dining in Singapore today, what is the one thing that gives you hope?

WL: The Singaporeans' love for food. We are always willing to go try out a recommended hawker, eatery or restaurant. Sometimes we also spend a little more for convenience, which allows the F&B scene to thrive in Singapore. On the other hand, most young families have both husband and wife working full-time, which leads to more robust demand for outside food. This would likely continue to increase as we all get busier.

WT: Seeing many interesting new concepts sprouting up and run by passionate young entrepreneurs. I think this phenomenon is heartening to see and that the F&B scene in Singapore can continue to thrive with passionate players.

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