Tim Ho Wan goes again to fundamentals to proceed rising in Singapore

As an alternative of reinventing the wheel, Hong Kong dim sum chain Tim Ho Wan is doubling down on the fundamentals

Eateries have had a tricky couple of years. In 2024, Singapore noticed its highest variety of F&B enterprise closures in 20 years, with over 3,000 institutions shutting their doorways. 2025 witnessed an identical pattern, with the Ministry of Commerce and Business reporting that 2,431 companies closed within the first 10 months of the 12 months. 

Other than native operators, worldwide chains have additionally shrunk and even succumbed to this fast tempo of closures, with the likes of US’ Eggslut, England’s PizzaExpress and Taiwan’s Hollin proving that scale and recognition are now not a security internet in Singapore’s F&B scene.

So when Vulcan Submit obtained an unique invitation to a media tour and witness the opening of Tim Ho Wan’s tenth retailer in Hong Kong final week, it was admittedly straightforward to dismiss the provide as “one other retailer opening.” Nevertheless, by the tour, we came upon how their technique may be the proper counter to Singapore’s powerful F&B scene: beginning with introducing new merchandise that pay homage to their classics.

Vulcan Submit caught up with Yeong Sheng Lee, CEO of Tim Ho Wan, in an unique interview to know how the enterprise plans to proceed thriving in Singapore’s cutthroat F&B scene, beginning with their merchandise. 

Why Singapore is a tricky nut to crack for worldwide manufacturers

Having managed a number of F&B manufacturers in Southeast Asia for nearly a decade, Yeong Sheng Lee is aware of simply how difficult the meals scene actually is, particularly in Singapore. 

Whereas Singapore presents itself as an open marketplace for international manufacturers, a number of components may end up in expensive miscalculations that make even the most important of manufacturers wrestle. Lee acknowledged that the market has seen a rise in challenges submit COVID-19, together with rising operational prices, a scarcity of labour, and assembly clients who’ve excessive requirements for each meals high quality and worth. 

“What I really imply by worth is that not everyone seems to be on the lookout for issues which might be low cost, and there’s a transparent distinction. Low-cost is after I all the time wish to go for the bottom pricing, however worth is the place for the worth that I’m paying, am I getting greater than what I ought to really expect?”  

When requested if the pessimism shared by Singaporean netizens and entrepreneurs is impeding the native market, Lee remained optimistic that the model would proceed to develop its presence within the nation for the long run fairly than pulling again like many different chains. 

“I wouldn’t really say it’s pessimism. It’s only a section that we really undergo, like each different market would even have its highs and lows. Little question, whereas it’s really difficult in Singapore for our staff, we stay optimistic and assured concerning the Singapore market.” 

However what’s the secret to his confidence? It seems to be less complicated than one may anticipate. 

Redefining Worth for the Singaporean Market 

Because the meals business is an especially trend-sensitive sector, Lee emphasised the significance of fixed innovation to maintain up with brief consideration spans, and this comes from introducing seasonal objects, from limited-time-only menus to elevated variations of bestsellers. 

For instance, the success of Tim Ho Wan’s signature pork bun gave inspiration to a brand new merchandise. Lee shared that the cooks began working to create a cousin to their signature baked pork bun, and had been exploring components that would create a black-coloured crust. They selected truffle, following the success of truffle meals choices worldwide.

“For the worth that I’m paying, I’m getting a black truffle rooster bun, one thing which might be a powerful indication of worth to a variety of shoppers. So worth on this case is what are we really placing into our merchandise? What are the components we’re utilizing?” 

This ethos additionally interprets into their festive menus. For this 12 months’s Chinese language New Yr menu, Tim Ho Wan launched restricted version dishes, equivalent to steamed scallops—an ingredient not typically present in quick informal chains—deep-fried nian gao (rice cake) and steamed rooster in wine broth. Localised choices, together with Bak Kut Teh dumplings and Musang Wang durian sesame balls, additionally assist to take care of relevance within the native market.

Lee additionally added that cooks play a significant function in menu improvements, and they’re always experimenting with new seasonal merchandise primarily based on on-hand buyer analysis. This enables them to keep away from introducing merchandise that don’t resonate with the native crowd, decreasing danger in a market the place failed launches are expensive.  

Past menu improvements, operations additionally matter. Lee identified that meals deliveries have been rising in Singapore, and the enterprise has been engaged on curating its menu with merchandise—together with bento units—which might be extra sturdy for deliveries. Tim Ho Wan has been introducing refreshed layouts of their shops, equivalent to its Westgate outlet, with extra open layouts and brighter lighting.

Whereas these initiatives appear mundane at first, they’re additionally essential for the model’s survival in a time when many eating places have been experiencing declining site visitors. 

Making certain consistency even because the enterprise scales up

Because the model continued to raise its choices, consistency was one other issue that Tim Ho Wan needed to get proper, particularly after the model was acquired by Jollibee Group in Jan 2025.

As an alternative of giving Tim Ho Wan a complete overhaul, the very first thing Lee centered on was constructing upon the model’s strengths, working with the cooks and backend operation groups to know how the model grew and thrived over a decade: from getting their first Michelin Star a 12 months after opening, to increasing to 11 markets in Asia, Australia and the US.

Leveraging on Jollibee’s experience, Lee helped the corporate streamline their operations throughout company-owned institutions, joint ventures and franchises. He additionally launched the Specialists Chef Program: a coaching programme the place cooks throughout all markets will come to Hong Kong to be taught Tim Ho Wan’s recipes and replicate them to the identical commonplace. 

To confirm this on the bottom, Vulcan Submit additionally spoke to Chef Cheung Yit Sing, who can also be World Product Innovation Director of Tim Ho Wan, to be taught extra concerning the coaching course of and the way the enterprise basis is saved.  

From working at pushcart eating places to cooking at lodges and conventions, Chef Cheung has been making dim sum since 1982 and is now answerable for educating Tim Ho Wan’s recipes to different cooks. He shared that because the creator of a particular dish, he begins each coaching with a lecture, adopted by an illustration of the way it’s made. 

The cooks will then get to style the dish to know the usual that they should hit earlier than making it. After studying the recipes, the cooks will then endure an evaluation to be scored for them to take care of their operational benchmarks. 

“At present, our passing mark is at 90 out of 100, as a result of the usual is basically excessive to make sure that when they can match the standard after they go away,” Chef Cheung shared in Mandarin, including that it’ll take at the least a day for the cooks to be taught two recipes. 

Don’t repair what doesn’t have to be fastened 

Globally, Tim Ho Wan has skilled a 5.2% improve in income in Q3 2025 in comparison with the primary half of the 12 months, with encouraging ends in newer market entries in america. Following the opening of their first company-owned outlet in Irvine, California, Lee shared that the nation will likely be a key marketplace for the model and expressed his ambition to open 20 further shops by 2028.

In Singapore, Tim Ho Wan noticed a 7% progress in the identical interval, and the model has 9 retailers within the nation since its entry 13 years in the past. Whereas Lee revealed that the corporate is continually on the lookout for new alternatives to introduce extra places, he additionally emphasised that the staff just isn’t speeding to open new places to fulfill timelines—a transfer that differs from different massive chains that overstretched after aggressively increasing.  

“We’ll proceed taking a look at alternatives, however on the identical time, we are literally investing in constructing our organisation’s functionality and strengthening our methods and processes,” he defined. “It’s a mixture of those components that we proceed to take a look at how we speed up our progress in Singapore sustainably, as a result of we aren’t on this for the brief time period.”  

In a market the place even well-known worldwide names are struggling to remain afloat, Tim Ho Wan’s technique stands in distinction to the churn. Slightly than increasing aggressively or reinventing its identification, the model centered on providing classics and trendy variations of dim sum, whereas additionally staying intentional with its expansions.

• Be taught extra about Tim Ho Wan right here.
• Learn extra tales we’ve written on Singaporean companies right here.

Featured Picture Credit score: Tim Ho Wan