Let’s start with how ‘The Original Vadai’ began. What was it like in the early days?
It first started with my mother who found a way to create a fluffier and lighter version of prawn vadai (dough fritter) to cater to Singaporean taste buds. She started selling them at Ramadan bazaars in the late 1980s, and it became a hit. It has now become a ‘traditional’ snack that customers look forward to breaking fast with during Ramadan!
How was it like when you first took over the family business?
I first took over the family business when I was 18 years old.
After my father passed away, my mother was the sole breadwinner of our family. She worked odd jobs apart from running the vadai stall to provide for the family – such as being a cleaner and a carpark attendant. But things got bad. There was a time when she couldn’t afford to pay for my school fees, nor give me an allowance.
Being the youngest child, I am very close to my mother. I really wanted to help her with the stall. That’s when I decided to drop out of school. At that time, I had only planned to work at the bazaar until our finances stabilised so that I could afford to go back to study. However, after completing my National Service, I continued to work at the bazaar for the next ten years.
What were some of the challenges you faced along this journey, and how did you overcome them?
One of the many challenges I faced was trying to set up a brick-and-mortar store. When we were running a bazaar stall, the money we earned was not consistent and we hardly made any profit. We thought setting up a proper shopfront could be the solution. However, our first two attempts weren’t successful, and we lost $70,000-$80,000 each time.
Interestingly, an opportunity came along when I was encouraged to tender for a stall at Golden Mile Food Centre. At first, I was sceptical about the location but eventually decided to go for it. I secured a unit in early 2020, and figured I’d just wait till after the Ramadan bazaar to set it up.
But COVID happened and my plans had to change. Without even a signboard, I started operations on 26 April 2020 – the fourth day of Ramadan. A Facebook post that I’d uploaded about our soft launch went viral, and the queues were crazy by the second day! My siblings had to help because I just couldn’t handle the order volume. It was really hectic but I’m thankful that even when all doors were closed, this door remained open for us – and that was how I started our first shop. Two years on, and we’ve since opened ten outlets!
Do you have any advice for young Singaporeans who aren’t sure what they want to do in life?
Oh, I’ve been there and I can say that it’s okay to feel lost. There were times I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do either. But I believe that everybody has something that they are good at. Sometimes, you’ll only find out what you’re good at later in life, and that’s perfectly fine!
– Stephen Suriyah, 33, Owner of The Original Vadai