Swee Choon's successor has fresh ambitions

SWEE Choon Tim Sum, after operating out of a single outlet in Jalan Besar for the last six decades, has new ambitions to grow, under the charge of its third-generation owner.

For one, it may be opening more outlets in Singapore as soon as in the next half of the year, according to Ernest Ting, the successor of the multi-million-dollar dim sum establishment.

International expansion is also on the cards. But the 30-year-old is aware that he will be "under the watchful eyes and pressure of the whole family" to deliver.

Mr Ting tells more about what he brings to the table, and his plans for Swee Choon.

How did Swee Choon begin, and when did you enter the business?

Swee Choon was started by my grandparents in 1962. It was later handed over to the second-generation management led by Tony Ting, who is my uncle.

I entered the business formally in 2019 - after exiting my startup, to learn the ropes from the second-generation management, while bringing in my experience and knowledge of the digital space to help modernise the business.

What were the factors and concerns you thought through before deciding to offer yourself as successor to the business?

Swee Choon is something I grew up with, and which is, therefore, very close to my heart. I wanted to help preserve the family business and its heritage, even though it would be a huge challenge.

Yet, I was also concerned about whether the new ideas I bring to the table would be met with resistance from the second-generation management.

Also, many of the staff we have at the restaurant have been working there for a long time and are far more senior than me. Managing them and gaining their respect and trust would not be a walk in the park.

Thankfully, my family has been very supportive and open to the new ideas, seeing that I can probably relate very well to our customers, who are largely millennials, being one myself.

You previously ran Hook Coffee, a coffee subscription business. How does that fit into the picture?

I founded Hook Coffee with a partner in 2015. In the four years there, I accumulated a wealth of skills, such as digital marketing, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) retailing and e-commerce operations.

These skills couldn't have been more useful than when Covid-19 affected Swee Choon and we had to adapt.

Have you made any bad bets for the business so far?

Thankfully, no. We tend to take a conservative approach to business expansion, and aim to ensure that strategies are well thought out in terms of planning and execution. Especially in these uncertain times, strategies have to be resilient.

One way in which we try to make better decisions and increase our chances of success even in uncertain and choppy times is leveraging data.

For instance, we opened up a cloud kitchen in Tampines last November, after the data showed us that the area was a hot spot for Swee Choon delivery orders.

We had mapped out all of our delivery customers in Singapore to be able to identify these hot spots, where we can then set up cloud kitchens, to optimise delivery and bring down logistics costs.

What about the best bet?

The best bet so far would have to be digitalising the business and coming up with new products, such as our frozen dim sum series which is now retailing on major e-commerce platforms. This has been a profitable segment for us.

(Sales of the frozen range have grown 20 per cent month on month since it was launched in January this year, according to Mr Ting's LinkedIn.)

What are some misconceptions people tend to have about successors, especially for a business as well known as Swee Choon?

Some people see young business owners as reckless and overly ambitions. I'm ambitious, but I would say I'm also quite conservative and methodical in approaching new expansion plans.

Ultimately, I am under the watchful eyes and pressure of the whole family to take this business to new levels.

What would define success for you as the third-generation owner of the business?

Success would mean ensuring the sustainability of the family business over the next few decades, and seeing it grow not just locally, but internationally as well.

How profitable is Swee Choon today, and what's next for the business?

It's profitable, with seven-digit revenues annually. In the next three to five years, we are also expecting to grow at a rate of 20 to 25 per cent annually, up from 10 to 15 per cent in the past years.

As we speak, we are planning for our new outlets, so we can be closer to the heartlands. Keep a lookout in the second half of 2021. I hope you are as excited as we are.

When you are not working hard in the office, where are you to be found?

Engaging in my favourite sports such as tennis and cycling, or being a glutton.