If you love Western hawker food, you might have heard of a little stall at ABC Brickworks Food Centre called Wow Wow West.
The stall has plenty of rave reviews online and is featured in multiple "Best Western Hawker Food Stall in Singapore" listicles.
The hawker couple running the stall also have a reputation for being generous, dishing up hearty Western fare at relatively affordable prices.
However, Wow Wow West might be closing shop after nearly 25 years, if the couple does not manage to find a "perfect owner" to take over their business.
Wife has aneurysm
The couple — Eric Ng, 59, and Kathy Yu, 61 — announced on Facebook in October 2023 that they are looking to sell Wow Wow West to the "perfect owner".
Elizabeth Ng, the eldest of Ng and Yu's three daughters and Wow Wow West's co-owner, told Mothership that her parents are selling their business to a "genuine buyer" due to her mother's ailing health.
Elizabeth was initially reluctant to talk about Yu's condition.
It took some prodding before she revealed that Yu is suffering from an aneurysm.
What is an aneurysm?
An aneurysm is an abnormal swelling or bulge in the weakened wall of a blood vessel.
It can happen in any blood vessel in the body but is most commonly found along the aorta, the main artery that transports blood away from the heart to the rest of the body or in the brain.
If left untreated, the aneurysm may enlarge to the point of rupturing, resulting in internal bleeding which could potentially be dangerous or even fatal.
Some research has shown that aneurysms may have a genetic link and may run in families.
Yu was hospitalised for a month
Elizabeth disclosed that Yu was hospitalised for a month in the past due to her health condition.
However, she quickly clarified that her mother's condition was not new, nor was it a result of running Wow Wow West all these years.
Elizabeth explained that Yu likely took after her maternal grandmother, Yu's mother, who also had an aneurysm.
Decision to sell business was "very difficult"
Elizabeth recounted that Yu's hospitalisation was the lowest point in her family's lives.
Yu's deteriorating health was probably the tipping point that made Elizabeth and her family realise that it was perhaps time for her parents to retire and focus on their health.
Not to mention, her parents were not getting any younger.
"So after many, many years of contemplation and, you know, back and forth, we decided that, you know what, now that we have come out of the Covid-19 pandemic, now that things are actually improving in terms of everybody's jobs and et cetera and the market itself is improving, then, yes, we are ready to finally make the decision."
Elizabeth said the decision to sell the business was "very difficult", and it made her parents tear up.
"It was very difficult because when we weigh the business, it's good, it's thriving, and this is my parents' livelihood."
Would have continued if not for mum's health
"It's really just a very upsetting issue that has been, you know, really just really just weighing down on everybody's mind because if it is not about health, honestly, we would have actually gone on with the business," Elizabeth said.
"But for my mom, we cannot just go on like that, having to risk her health."
She explained that Wow Wow West has been her parents' baby for the past 25 or so years.
Wow Wow West's journey began in Raffles Institution around 1999. In fact, its name was coined by one of the students then.
The stall was already a hit amongst the students back then, and Elizabeth remembers going to the school to help out as young as when she was 12 years old.
After Raffles Institution, the stall relocated to Bukit Merah View Market and Hawker Centre before settling in at its current location at ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre, but its name has remained unchanged.
Business was parents' "baby"
Elizabeth said Wow Wow West has not only "successfully brought up the three of us" but also brought her family closer together.
During this time, Wow Wow West also built up a loyal customer following, many of whom were surprised when the stall announced on Facebook in October 2023 that they were looking for "genuine buyers" to take over its reins.
However, money is just one part of the equation.
While Elizabeth and her family are keen to sell the business at the right price, they are also selective about who is buying the business.
She said this is to ensure that their customers are well taken care of in the future.
"The key thing here is to find the right buyer with the right finances and with a sincere heart," Elizabeth said.
"We will provide training, and we will ensure quality, but this is to ensure that our customers are well taken care of in the future."
Elizabeth and her sisters want to carve their own paths
When asked if she and her sisters have considered taking over the business to continue their parents' legacy, Elizabeth said she and her sister are "comfortable" with the lives they have built in the corporate world.
While Elizabeth's youngest sister is currently working at the stall, she is also keen to venture out and find her own path.
Elizabeth added that it is also not viable for her parents to take a more hands-off approach and let their employees run the business as they would still fret over the business.
She said: "The best decision is for somebody to take over the business so that my parents will be able to sit down and finally take their long-deserved break."
Image from Wow Wow West Genuine/Facebook.
Will close if no right buyer
Elizabeth said Wow Wow West will have to close if they do not find a "perfect owner".
"We will eventually have to close as our reason for selling is due to our ageing parents’ health. Health is wealth."
However, she added that her family are in the midst of discussions with a few individuals who have expressed their interest since Wow Wow West's announcement.
About Wow Wow West
Address: 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-133, Singapore 150006
Opening hours: 10:30am to 2pm and 4:30pm to 7:30pm daily except Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays
Top image from Chua Germaine/Google Maps and from Wow Wow West Genuine/Facebook