Opportunites and Dilemma at Lunar New Year

It's the third day of the Lunar New Year and I wish all bloggers and readers here a Happy Prosperous Lunar New Year. As a Chinese, Lunar New Year is a time for family get-together and for reunion dinner (on Lunar New Year Eve). It is also a time to visit our relatives and catch up with each other as we talk about the old days. For the younger ones, it is time to play some Mahjong tiles, poker cards and share chinese goodies together.

Food Business Phenomenon
With all these busy things to do during Lunar New Year, are there opportunities for food business? The answer is YES. By the way, it is a public holiday in Singapore on the first three days of Chinese New Year this year. Some food business would take at least one day off for their family, while the rest of them would work as usual. The fast food restaurants are among the first on the line, such as Mac Donald and KFC. As for the food hawkers, most of them are open on the second day of Lunar New Year. In addition, the food pricing are pasted over at their light box panel to a higher price (i.e $2.50 change to $3.00, etc).

Food Business Opportunity
In fact, most of the food business near entertainment centers are doing quite well with the constant crowd looking for food before or after the movies or carnivals for example. Pasar Malam (i.e. Mini Bazzaar) are strategically situated beside the carnival to catch the crowd.

Though visiting relatives are still traditionally practised, I think it is slowly fading off into an opportunity for a small family day. In addition, modern parents have grown to be more and more dependent on hawker and fast food that during festive seasons, it can be quite a hassle for them to cope with the home cooking while entertaining themselves at the same time. Thus, this modern trend becomes an advantage for food business owners to take profits during this festive season while they can.

The Dilemma
But sometimes, I wonder if it is really worth working so hard for their customers? Chinese New Year only comes once in a year and once it is passed, you have to wait for the next year that sometimes never comes because you know that you will continue on to work through the festive seasons anyway.

I think it is a dilemma for many food business who wants a good balance of family life besides having good business. In fact, it is one of the unspoken reasons why many aspiring food entrepreneurs decide not to take the step forward; to make this sacrifice if the business is not doing well or should the business require them to 'try their luck' during festive seasons and hopefully, take their share of profit.

It might be easy to think that it is the business owners' personal decision, but sometimes, it can also be a business decision. Whatever the reasons it may be, I am sure that the hawkers will find their way to enjoy themeslves while operating their food business during the festive seasons; with a pair of mandarin oranges to standy, and to wish their stall neighbours a Happy Prosperous New Year if they turn up for business. At the end, it is their patriotic customers who benefit if they open their food stalls during festive seasons.

No demand, No supply!