King of Ban Mian gives 88 bowls of noodles a month to the elderly despite rising prices

Singapore's goods and services tax (GST) has been raised to 9 per cent but some food operators are finding ways to give back to the community, especially those from lower-income backgrounds.

One such food stall is King of Ban Mian at Hougang Green Shopping Mall's FoodLoft Coffeeshop.

Stomper Darell visited the stall on Jan 2 and noticed a sign in which the stall said it is giving away 88 bowls of ban mian every month to low-income individuals aged 70 years and above.

"To my curiosity, I asked the staff how does this work and if it was financially profitable," said the Stomper.

"They then explained to me that it wasn't all just about profits and it was more about giving back to the community and the less fortunate as they are located in an older estate where there are more senior citizens."

Darell was impressed that instead of raising prices or cutting down on ingredients, King of Ban Mian was giving out food to help others facing difficulties as consumers.

"One of the bosses, Alex, who is in his early 30s also told me that he expected more people to take advantage of this movement and said no one becomes poor from giving.

"With that being said, I realised they're more than just an F&B business and it warmed my heart."

Darell added that he wanted to raise awareness about the programme and hopes this reaches the needy as well.

"A free meal can go a long way," he said.

"Kudos to King of Ban Mian and their team of young friendly staff for their service and efforts in reaching out to the community and less privileged senior citizens."