Founder Bak Kut Teh

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Founder Bak Kut Teh is a food brand founded in Singapore.

Founder Bak Kut Teh (also known as Founder Rou Gu Cha) is a food and beverage (F&B) franchise specialising in bak kut teh, a dish consisting of pork ribs simmered in a broth of herbs and spices. Over the years, the brand has been featured by media sites such as the food blog, LadyIronChef and the online publication, Prestige.[1][2] Founder Bak Kut Teh's flagship restaurant at Balestier Road has also been visited by celebrities such as the Taiwanese singer, Jay Chou and the Hong Kong actor, Chow Yun-fat.[3][4][5] As of December 2020, Founder Bak Kut Teh is located in five countries including China, Vietnam and Taiwan.[6]

Background

The founder of Founder's Bak Kut Teh, Chua Chwee Whatt (left) with his son. Photo from Today.

Origins

Founder Bak Kut Teh was established in 1978 by a former pig farmer, Chua Chwee Whatt.[7] In an interview on Founder Bak Kut Teh’s YouTube channel, Chua Chwee Whatt elaborated on what prompted him to start his own business:


“Whenever I saw bak kut teh sold anywhere, I would try it out but I always got pork ribs of mixed quality. I ran a pig farm (and) my pigs were sold to pork sellers, so I often checked on the quality of my pork that was circulating out there. Sometimes I would buy a few kilograms of (my own) pork to cook at my farm and invite relatives, friends and neighbours to enjoy bak kut teh and tea in the evenings. They remarked that my bak kut teh was quite delicious and worth selling.”[8]

In 1978, he opened a bak kut teh stall at Choa Chu Kang before establishing a stand-alone restaurant at the New Orchid Hotel along Balestier Road in 1998.[9][10] He chose the name 'Founder Bak Kut Teh' to signify that his bak kut teh recipe was originally formulated.[11]

Second-generation owner

Born in 1975, Nigel Chua is the son of Chua Chwee Whatt and the second-generation owner of Founder Bak Kut Teh.[12] He has an older sister, Chua Chui Chui, who runs Legendary Bak Kut Teh at South Bridge Road. Nigel Chua has three children, a son and two daughters.[13]

Business growth

The shopfront of Founder Bak Kut Teh's flagship outlet at Balestier. Photo credit to TheSmartLocal.

Founder Bak Kut Teh has built a considerable following over the years. In 2008, it was voted as the most popular bak kut teh in the The Straits Times' Readers’ Choice Favourite Hawkers Poll.[14][15] A long-time patron of the establishment said the following to The Straits Times:

"They deserve to win. Their long queues between 9 and 10 pm are proof of how good they are."[16]

As of December 2020, Founder Bak Kut Teh has over 9,000 followers on Facebook and 2,000 followers on Instagram. The brand operates outlets in Singapore, China, Taiwan, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Local expansion

The interior walls of the Balestier outlet (pictured) are filled with photographs of famous patrons.

Founder Bak Kut Teh has three outlets in Singapore. Its flagship outlet, which was opened in March 1998, is located at 347 Balestier Road.[17][18] The following is a timeline of Founder Bak Kut Teh's growth in Singapore.

Years operational Location Refs.
2018 - current Downtown East [19]
2017 - 2020 Bugis [20][21]
2017 - current Jalan Sultan [22]
1998 - current Balestier Road [17]

Impact of COVID-19

In September 2020, owner Nigel Chua announced that due to declining revenue stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, Founder Bak Kut Teh would be ceasing operations at its Bugis outlet on 1 October 2020.[21] The media reported of the business' problems as early as July that year after Nigel Chua posted an open plea of support on social media.[12][23][24] A part of the message reads as such:

"We have been around for 42 years since 1978... For the last 5 months, our sales have dropped tremendously by over 85%. If we don't turn around in the next 2 months, we will need to shut down. We sincerely seek your support to save our brand, the jobs of our employees and our heritage."[25]

Founder Bak Kut Teh's Bugis outlet. Photo credit to source.

Nigel Chua also revealed that the business revenue dropped from $200,000 a month per outlet to $30,000 after Singapore shut its borders to foreigners in February 2020.[13] According to a 2017 report by The Straits Times, tourists make up 40 percent of Founder Bak Kut Teh's business. Speaking to the newspaper about the brand's tourist draw, Nigel Chua said:

"Most of the tourists know about us via social media and many are impressed by the celebrity customers who have visited our original shop in Balestier Road."[26]

Overseas expansion

As of December 2020, Founder Bak Kut Teh has expanded into China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia; with one outlet in each country. The following is a timeline of Founder Bak Kut Teh’s growth outside of Singapore.

Years operational Location Refs.
2019 - current Taipei, Taiwan [27]
2018 - current Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam [28]
2015 - current Jakarta, Indonesia [29]
- current Hangzhou, China [6]

In September 2020, Nigel Chua released a statement clarifying reports about the opening of a second outlet in China, stating that the funding was fully supported by the franchise’s Chinese partners.[30]

References/ Citations

  1. ↑ Lim, Han. “15 Bak Kut Teh Spots That Offer Islandwide Delivery in Singapore for Rainy Days”. LadyIronChef. June 1, 2020. Accessed on 10 November 2020.
  2. ↑ Tan, Jocelyn. "Bak Kut Teh in Singapore: The best herbal and pepper pork rib soup to warm you up". Prestige Online. July 27, 2020. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
  3. ↑ Lee, Jan. “Jay Chou makes surprise appearance at local bak kut teh eatery”. The Straits Times. August 25, 2018. Accessed on 10 November 2020.
  4. ↑ “Chow Yun-fat spotted at Founder Bak Kut Teh again”. AsiaOne. July 4, 2016. Accessed on 10 November 2020.
  5. ↑ Yip Wai Yee. "Dine like the stars: 7 spots celebrities have been seen visiting when in Singapore". The Straits Times. October 15, 2017. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 “Our Outlets”. Founder Bak Kut Teh Singapore. n.d. Accessed on 10 November 2020.
  7. ↑ Quek, Eunice. “Founder Bak Kut Teh in danger of closing down”. The Straits Times. July 16, 2020. Accessed on 10 November 2020.
  8. ↑ Founder Bak Kut Teh. “Founder Bak Kut Teh”. YouTube. July 1, 2016. Accessed on 11 November 2020.
  9. ↑ Yang, George. "Founder BKT Owner Responds to Criticisms of Their Plea for Help, Says It ‘Saddens’ Him". Goody Feed. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
  10. ↑ “Our Brand Story”. Founder Bak Kut Teh Singapore. n.d. Accessed on 10 November 2020.
  11. ↑ “Our Brand Story”. Founder Bak Kut Teh Singapore. n.d. Accessed on 10 November 2020.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Quek, Eunice. "Founder Bak Kut Teh in danger of closing down". The Straits Times. July 16, 2020. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Yip, Jieying. “Founder Bak Kut Teh Boss: "I Live In A HDB Flat, My AP Watch Is Second-Hand””. 8 Days. July 16, 2020. Accessed on 10 November 2020.
  14. ↑ "Top 20 stalls". The Straits Times. October 5, 2008. Accessed on 9 December 2020. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  15. ↑ "A Bak Kut Teh Haven". Project Balestier. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
  16. ↑ Tan, Cheryl. "3 more days to vote". The Straits Times. September 27, 2008. Accessed on 9 December 2020. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Bong Xin Ying. "Balestier: A walk back in time". EdgeProp. August 7, 2019. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
  18. ↑ Ng, Cherlynn. "Stomper gets lucky sighting of Jay Chou at Founder Bak Kut Teh in Balestier". STOMP. August 26, 2018. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
  19. ↑ Founder Bak Kut Teh Cafeteria. "New outlet grand opening on 28/3/2018 11am at E!Avenue". Facebook. March 26, 2018. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
  20. ↑ Ho, Wan Ping. “Founder Bak Kut Teh (Bugis) – New Outlet, New Items!”. Miss Tam Chiak. September 27, 2017. Accessed on 10 November 2020.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Yip, Jieying. “Founder Bak Kut Teh Closing Bugis Branch, Opening China Franchise Outlet Instead”. TODAYonline. October 5, 2020. Accessed on 10 November 2020.
  22. ↑ Ow, Maureen. “Founder Bak Kut Teh Opens A New Branch In Jalan Sultan”. Miss Tam Chiak. March 30, 2017. Accessed on 10 November 2020.
  23. ↑ "Founder Bak Kut Teh in danger of closing, owner makes public appeal for support". Channel News Asia. July 16, 2020. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
  24. ↑ "Founder Bak Kut Teh appeals to customers as business plummets amid pandemic". Yahoo! News. July 15, 2020. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
  25. ↑ founderbkt. "Hi everyone, this is Nigel here.". Instagram. July 15, 2020. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
  26. ↑ Goh, Kenneth. "The many new faces of bak kut teh". The Straits Times. October 1, 2017. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
  27. ↑ Founder Bak Kut Teh Cafeteria. "Founder BKT open its 1st shop in Taiwan...". Facebook. September 6, 2019. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
  28. ↑ Nguyen, Wen Hai. “Founder Bak Kut Teh arrives in Vietnam”. Inside Retail. June 8, 2018. Accessed on 10 November 2020.
  29. ↑ Founder Bak Kut Teh Cafeteria. "Founder Bak Kut Teh Grand Opening in Jakarta Puri Indah Mall...". Facebook. November 4, 2015. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
  30. ↑ Founder Bak Kut Teh Cafeteria. "We regret to announce that Founder Bak Kut Teh Singapore Bugis outlet will be closing with effect from 1 October 2020." Facebook. September 30, 2020. Accessed on 9 December 2020.
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