Homegrown chain Founder Bak Kut Teh has been around since 1978. It’s a favourite makan haunt for visiting stars, like Jay Chou, Chow Yun-Fat, Charmaine Sheh, Eason Chan and Jam Hsiao (its Balestier restaurant is plastered with photos of its famous customers). But the eatery has fallen on hard times lately due to Covid-19 and the circuit breaker. Business has been so poor that Founder Bak Kut Teh’s second-gen boss, Nigel Chua, 45, issued a plea on social media for help.

In his open letter, Nigel calls the current period “the most difficult crisis we have ever met”. He details that business for Founder’s three outlets have dropped by over 85 percent for the past five months, and the chain is now struggling to make ends meet. “We are in a dire situation. Business is bad; really bad. We have been keeping our business afloat by relying on takeaway and deliveries since the outbreak of Covid-19, but our efforts are still insufficient. If this continues, Founder Bak Kut Teh will not tide through the pandemic,” he says, adding: “If we don't turn around in the next two months, we will need to shut down. We sincerely seek your support to save our brand, the jobs of our employees and our heritage.”

Founder Bak Kut Teh was started by Nigel’s dad Chua Chwee Whatt (left), 75, a former pig farmer and bak kut teh lover who started his own BKT biz when he could not find a satisfactory bowl. His first restaurant in Balestier initially served pork ribs soup made with pigs from his own Seletar farm.

According to Nigel’s letter, the elderly Mr Chua was relieved when Phase 2 arrived and dining-in was allowed again. “My dad was elated, grinning from ear to ear, and gleefully headed down to the restaurant in the wee hours to prepare the aromatic Bak Kut Teh broth himself. We were hopeful that the situation would turn for the better. But we were wrong. Even now, we continue to walk into our empty restaurants with no diners in sight. In our 42 years of business, these few months are the most tiring, trying and difficult,” he recounts. “We do not wish to close our doors but we desperately need your help.”

Tourists, including overseas stars, make up a majority of Founder’s customer base. With Singapore’s borders still closed, the chain – particularly its flagship restaurant at Hotel Boss in Balestier – saw a severe dip in diners, with the eateries empty and forlorn.

To attract more local customers, Founder Bak Kut Teh is now offering “over 30% off curated family set menus from July 17 to August 17 at Founder Bak Kut Teh Hotel Boss, Bugis and Downtown East outlets”. To help the outlets adhere to safe distancing measures, do make a reservation before you head down.

Check out the promo deets below:

Set A, $58.80 (U.P. $94.20, feeds four pax)

· 4x Popularity Bak Kut Teh

· 1x Poached Seasonal Vegetables with Soya & Fried Shallots (L)

· 1x Best with Rice (Steamed Trio Egg)

· 1x Grandma's Pork Belly

· 1x Moody to Eat (Pan Fried Marinated Garlic Chicken) (L)

· 4x Piglet in the Pool

· 4x Drinks (Barley / Longan & Red Dates / Lime)

Set B, $33.80 (U.P. $47.80, feeds two pax)

· 2x Popularity Bak Kut Teh

· 1x Poached Seasonal Vegetables with Soya & Fried Shallots (S)

· 1x Best with Rice (Steamed Trio Egg)

· 1x Moody to Eat (Pan Fried Marinated Garlic Chicken) (S)

· 2x Piglet in the Pool

· 2x Drinks (Barley / Longan & Red Dates / Lime)

Set A, $50.80 (U.P. $72.60, feeds four pax)

· 4x Popularity Bak Kut Teh

· 1x Poached Seasonal Vegetables with Soya & Fried Shallots (L)

· 1x Best with Rice (Steamed Trio Egg)

· 1x Pig's Trotter (L)

· 2x You Tiao

· 4x Drinks (Barley / Longan & Red Dates / Lime)

Set B, $30.80 (U.P. $45, feeds two pax)

· 2x Popularity Bak Kut Teh

· 1x Poached Seasonal Vegetables with Soya & Fried Shallots (S)

· 1x Best with Rice (Steamed Trio Egg)

· 1x Pig's Trotter (S)

· 1x You Tiao

· 2x Drinks (Barley / Longan & Red Dates / Lime)

Founder Bak Kut Teh @ Hotel Boss
#01-09, 500 Jalan Sultan, S199020. Tel: 6816-2582, Open daily 9am-10pm.

Founder Bak Kut Teh @ Bugis
530 North Bridge Rd, #01-01, S188747. Tel: 6255-3889. Open daily 9am-10pm.

Founder Bak Kut Teh @ Downtown East
Market Square @ Downtown East, E!Avenue, #01-310, 1 Pasir Ris Close, S519599. Tel: 6344-2588. Open daily 10am-10pm.

www.facebook.com/founderbakkutteh.