SINGAPORE — When hawker Kenny Ngoo, 31, hit “share” on a light-hearted Instagram reel in March, he did not expect much.
“It was basically me pretending it was my first day at work,” says the co-owner of Salt, which sells Western fusion dishes at Old Airport Road Food Centre. He had filmed himself from the customer’s point of view, acting as though he had forgotten an order.
“It was a low-effort video. It took me 10 minutes to film and 45 minutes to edit.”
The idea had come from a similar video he had seen online. To his surprise, views surged to 2.5 million — far outstripping his usual 1,000 views for food-focused clips.
“I couldn’t understand why it was such a hit,” adds the hawker, who joined his sister in running her stall in 2017.
“Other videos I had put in more effort, like filming my cooking process, and took two days to edit, but drew only about 1,000 views.”
The unexpected viral moment stupefied him. “I didn’t post for seven days because I didn’t know what to do next,” he says, adding that he started to feel pressure about his next video. “I started to overthink whether my upcoming content would be good enough to rival this one.”
His experience reflects how hawkers and restaurateurs are navigating a new reality: serving up laughs as much as food. From Hokkien mee stall The Neighbourwok to Italian eatery Fortuna, operators are finding that humour is an ingredient that gains more traction online than polished food shots.
Quality food and service are not sufficient to draw customers in today’s competitive and cut-throat food and beverage scene, says Joni Anson, 39, owner of Bebek Goreng Pak Ndut, a chain of Indonesian restaurants specialising in fried duck.
“Unlike our grandfathers’ time, when a reputation for great food was enough to ensure success, the game has changed,” he adds.
“We need to be where our customers are, and they are spending a lot of time on social media.”
Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, he says, help his decade-old restaurant chain connect with customers quickly, showcase its dishes and create buzz beyond word of mouth since he put more effort into posting content in 2020.
From cooks to content creators
To save costs, instead of hiring social media agencies or influencers, hawkers and eatery owners have turned into content creators to boost their brand in a bid to convert followers into customers, and likes into sales.
They are also avidly studying social media trends, scripting skits, acting on camera, directing employees to perform for videos and chasing algorithms.
Alessandra Gulino, 31, marketing manager and co-owner of Italian restaurant Fortuna, says while budget is a consideration, business owners taking charge of their own social media can be more efficient.
“When you do things internally, it is better because, as an owner, you understand the business and know what to focus on. It is sometimes difficult to explain to a third party what to focus on,” she adds.
Kelvin Tan, 32, co-founder of fried rice chain Fried Rice Story, has made social media part of his weekly routinesince July.
“People are constantly scrolling through social media. We need to have a presence there to get noticed,” he says.
He now dedicates one day each week to filming skits with his staff, editing the footage on the same day. Each session yields enough content for up to three videos.
Like many operators, he began by posting food shots, but quickly realised these had limited traction. With a menu centred on egg fried rice and a few sides, he says: “I think viewers prefer to be entertained by videos rather than just see food photos. Since my menu is limited, I don’t want to fill my posts with food content only.”
His videos have since evolved into humorous shorts featuring his staff. A recent TikTok clip posted in August made a tongue-in-cheek comment on the pressures of social media.
In it, two employees dance in front of the stall while a third films them on a smartphone. The caption reads: “POV: You applied for a kitchen assistant job but now you’re dancing on camera every day.”
Humour is an effective hook
Alan Yong, 38, a lecturer in communications and media management at Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Business, says there is a noticeable trend of F&B operators using humour in their social media content. The shift is driven by the need to stand out in a saturated digital space.
“Funny content is more likely to be shared, commented on and remembered, making it a powerful tool for raising awareness,” he says.
He adds that by featuring owners and employees in humorous skits, F&B businesses humanise their brand and foster emotional connections. It also allows them to showcase their own style, which can be more compelling than just showing how the food is prepared and how fantastic their food looks.
“A hawker stall can now reach thousands of people with a clever video shot on a phone. There may not be a need for expensive production. This allows small businesses to compete with larger chains on creativity and authenticity.”
Here is how six F&B operators are bringing humour into their social media playbook.
Kiang Kiang Taiwan Teppanyaki: Skits for sizzling sales
When former Singapore Airlines cabin crew Cherry Tan, 30, swopped flying for frying in May 2024 to open Kiang Kiang Taiwan Teppanyaki with her Taiwanese husband Duncan Hsu, 37, she launched a TikTok account @cherrykiang, which now has 21,700 followers.
The handle blends her name with the stall’s onomatopoeic “kiang-kiang” clatter of spatula on hotplate. “By using my name, viewers feel more connected and less resistant than if I used the stall’s name,” she says. Hsu prefers to stay off-camera while Tan fronts the content.
Early behind-the-scenes clips took off — most notably, a video of her peeling the protective film off a new fridge garnered four million views in June 2024 — drawing influencers and media, and lifting her sales by about 50 per cent for six months.
These days, any week that a TikTok clip clears 40,000 views, she will see about a 20 per cent bump in takings. A top-selling item at her stall is Chicken Chop With Pasta ($8.50).
Her content has moved from day-in-the-life snippets to scripted skits riffing on real interactions — quibbles over steak doneness and parents fibbing to their children that the stall does not sell fries.
Tan writes and directs the skits, shoots them on a Samsung S24 smartphone with a $40 wireless microphone, and edits the footage using a paid version of video-editing app CapCut. She films three times a week, often during breaks.
“The draining part isn’t filming — it’s brainstorming,” she says.
Getting staff on board took finesse. “At first, they were reluctant. I joked that if they were late, they had to appear in the videos. Suddenly, everyone was punctual,” she says with a laugh. Now, her employees cooperate and her husband even appears in some of the skits.
Prospective hires are told that occasional on-camera work is part of the job. The payoff: Followers from across Singapore and the occasional tourist who have seen her videos turn up at the stall in support.
Some offer gentler, more constructive feedback on the stall’s food because they “know the people behind the stall”.
The visibility has led to a paid collaboration with Zappy Cooking Paper, an oil filter paper, in June.
More recently, she took on a small acting gig with an online video production company and was even recognised in Orchard Road.
She has no intention to leave F&B behind, though she is open to brand collaborations and possibly ad-hoc acting gigs. “People follow me for my F&B life,” she says. “So, I’ll carry on cooking and posting.”
Fried Rice Story: Staff talents ladle up laughs online
When Kelvin Tan, 32, co-founder of halal-certified fried rice chain Fried Rice Story, scrolled through his employee’s Instagram account, he stumbled on something unexpected. His head cook Kenny Low, 31, had videos of himself dancing in the stall’s kitchen during off-peak hours and making silly clips with his colleagues.
“I realised he had a hidden talent and is not camera-shy,” says Tan with a grin. “That’s why I started featuring him in our videos since he was already making his own content during work hours. He is a natural in front of the camera.”
The chain’s TikTok account @friedricestory_sg has about 1,700 followers, while its Instagram account @friedricestory_sg has about 7,000 followers. A video that hit 137,200 views showed one of three employees dancing while holding a wok, a ladle and an ingredient box.
“I’m now focusing on creating funny English videos for our social media accounts,” Tan says. “Although most of my employees are more comfortable with Mandarin, I want the videos to cater to non-Mandarin-speaking viewers and customers, and make sure everyone can enjoy the content.”
Four out of his team of 10, aged between 22 and 31, have been game to take part. “They are very supportive and I can tell they really enjoy themselves during the shoots. Maybe it’s because of their age,” he adds.
The shoots often turn into bonding sessions. “They laugh at their own acting, even when we have to repeat the same shot many times. The bloopers are the funniest part. It’s the only time I’ve seen them laugh so much at work,” says Tan.
He sometimes acts out a scene first to coax his team. “I’ll choose easy, funny characters for them to play. Once they see me do it, they loosen up.”
One memorable take involved his cashier pretending to talk to an invisible customer, which prompted passers-by to stop and stare at his acting.
“He was embarrassed, but we couldn’t stop laughing. We had to redo the scene several times because people kept blocking the shot.”
Their efforts have paid off with rising numbers of views and stronger connections with customers. Tan keeps an eye on analytics and tracks how many viewers are local.
“But at the end of the day, we must remind ourselves that we are running an F&B business,” he says. “The food is still our main objective — our Shrimp Egg Fried Rice ($6.90) and Chicken Katsu Teriyaki Egg Fried Rice ($7.90) are what keep customers coming back.”
The Neighbourwok: TikTok brings buzz to Bukit Batok
When Joreen Ong started a TikTok account to help market her husband’s Hokkien mee stall in February 2024, she struggled with knowing what content to post.
The 31-year-old had been managing the Facebook and Instagram accounts of The Neighbourwok, which her husband Kelvin Teo, 38, opened in June 2020. She is also in charge of the stall’s administrative and financial matters.
To date, the Hokkien mee stall — which has one outlet in Bukit Batok and another in Owen Road — has 2,700 followers on its Facebook page and 7,728 followers on its Instagram account @theneighbourwok.
For the first four years, Ong had relied on food photos and stall updates to attract followers and likes. But TikTok was unfamiliar territory.
She reached out to a content creator who quoted about $8,000 for a video that can be posted across different social media platforms — far beyond the stall’s budget.
Finally, in September 2024, her husband came up with a Massive Hokkien Mee Challenge, where groups of five diners had 10 minutes to finish a giant plate of noodles. The plate, which was priced at $50, comprised 12 small servings. If diners could complete the challenge, they did not have to pay.
Ong shot and edited a few videos of the challenge for TikTok. They proved to be a game changer. Views went from 35,200 for the first video in October 2024 to 269,500 for the second a month later.
Ong then suggested her husband and employees act in skits for social media.
One clip that garnered 238,200 views featured Teo telling a female employee not to scowl but smile at customers. She then exaggeratedly beams and laughs stiltedly while working — more likely scaring off customers than winning them over. Employees take turn to appear in the videos which are shot in a two-hour session weekly.
“Our videos are not perfect, but we present fun, honest content that reflects who we are. It is an affordable way to boost our online visibility,” says Ong, who has a daughter with Teo.
Besides offering laughs, the clips introduce customers to the faces behind the wok and spark conversations with diners. Some viewers have travelled from Punggol and Pasir Ris to Bukit Batok West Avenue 8 stall after watching their videos. The coupleopened their second outlet in Owen Road in June.
While Ong initially expected TikTok to reach younger diners, followers in their 50s have also turned up for the stall’s signature Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee, priced from $5 for regular prawns to $10 for a large plate, which comes with three big prawns.
She says serving quality food is what truly matters.
“You can create a buzz and draw crowds quickly through online hype,” she says. “But if the food isn’t good, customers won’t come back. It becomes a one-time visit rather than a long-term relationship.
“Both great food and effective social media are essential for growing and sustaining the business.”
Salt: Social media with a pinch of edutainment
Hawker Kenny Ngoo, 31, runs Salt’s socials himself. Besides not wanting to spend up to $2,000 a month on social media agencies which offered him packages, he felt he could better execute his vision for his business.
Ngoo, who co-owns the hawker stall at Old Airport Road Food Centre and an outlet at CIMB Plaza in Raffles Place with his sister, launched @salt.singapore on Instagram (6,669 followers) and TikTok (272 followers) in October 2023, posting sporadically at first.
He tried posting daily in January 2025, but found it unsustainable while cooking and managing the stall. Now, he makes it a point to post three to four times a week. He shoots content for his videos up to thrice a week, spending an hour each time. Editing can take an hour for one video.
After a March video of him pretending it was his first day of work went viral, both outlets saw an increase of about 20 per cent in business. His bestsellers include Chicken Cutlet with Soy Garlic Fried Rice (from $7.90).
Early clips leaned on trending bits, skits and the odd dance. He has since shifted towards short, story-led edutainment: Light humour paired with what Salt stands for. “I want socials to be fun, but I also want to drop some knowledge about our concept and values,” he says.
He wants to introduce viewers and customers to the effort put into using premium ingredients such as Barilla pasta and housemade soya garlic and Korean hot sauces. The aim, he says, is to build trust, not just rack up views.
“If you push only glossy food shots without any context, it’s replaceable and not memorable,” he says.
“I want to establish a relationship with the audiences and give them the confidence that the food is worth visiting the stall for.” The goal is to turn viewers and followers into customers.
Fortuna: Social-media savvy drives full house from day one
When Fortuna opened its doors in Craig Road in June 2024, the 55-seat Italian pizzeria and pasta restaurant was packed from the outset — thanks to the social media strategy of Italian co-owner and marketing manager Alessandra Gulino, 31.
Dissatisfied with social media agencies she had hired when running an eatery in Sydney in 2021, Gulino resolved to learn the craft herself. She studied graphic design, editing and social media strategy through online courses, and took full control of Fortuna’s marketing.
“We had a clear strategy and produced videos daily, even during renovations,” she says. “That kept the public curious and meant we were busy from day one.”
When the restaurant opened, she shot and posted clips of the behind-the-scenes camaraderie of the other co-owners – her husband and restaurant founder Egon Marzaioli, 32; head chef and co-owner Omar Tutino, 32; and co-owner Giorgio Sorce, 31, who is based in Sicily but flies in every six months to check on quality and update the menu with new dishes.
She also involved employees, from servers to kitchen crew, in video content, and showed glimpses of what goes on in the kitchen.
Within a month of opening, a video spliced from CCTV footage of a kitchen mishap went viral with 2.6 million views.
Her sustained efforts paid off. Fortuna’s Instagram account @fortunaitaliantrattoria now has 17,900 followers, while its TikTok account @fortuna.sg has 1,350 followers.
One Instagram reel posted in February, a light-hearted edit about diners unable to resist desserts — went viral worldwide with 9.7 million views and more than 406,000 likes.
“I woke up to hundreds of reposts from Russia, America and Italy. It just snowballed because it was relatable and funny,” she says.
Gulino credits the success to persistence and adaptability.
“Every video needs a hook. I keep learning — whether it’s AI tools, design software or video editing. You cannot just copy viral trends; you need your own twist,” she says. Brainstorming, filming and editing take 30 hours a week.
“I believe making food makes one happy and satisfied. When you work with food, showing you are having real fun is engaging. People want to be happy when they eat good food too.”
Her flair for viral marketing has not gone unnoticed. Other F&B operators have approached her to manage their accounts and she briefly took on campaigns for three restaurants, charging $2,000 to $3,000 a month. But she has since stepped back to focus on Fortuna’s expansion. Its sister outlet, Fortuna Terrazza, is slated to open in Craig Road in October.
Looking ahead, she does not rule out launching her own agency. For now, her priority remains growing Fortuna’s community through food, service and storytelling.
She adds: “We are presenting a real side of the restaurant. The videos are funny, but at the heart, we take food quality and service very seriously — that is no joking matter. Customers are our priority.”
Bebek Goreng Pak Ndut: Learning TikTok from his 12-year-old
When Joni Anson, 39, opened the first outlet of Indonesian restaurant Bebek Goreng Pak Ndut at Lucky Plaza in May 2015, social media marketing was far from his mind. Quality food and service were his foremost priorities.
The Singapore permanent resident from Batam started a Facebook account for the restaurant the following year to give it an online presence. By 2020, he realised that good food and Facebook posts were no longer enough.
As the business was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, he started an Instagram account in mid-2020 and began posting in a desperate bid to boost custom. But it took him longer — until August 2024 — to launch a TikTok account for the brand, after he opened a third outlet at SingPost Centre. That was at the urging of younger customers.
Today, the restaurant’s social accounts have gained traction: about 6,600 followers on Instagram, 11,400 on TikTok and 11,000 on Facebook. Active social media presence has helped lift sales by about 10 per cent, he estimates.
It helped spread word about the restaurant’s signature dish of fried duck, Bebek Goreng Original ($11.90), in a food scene where people are more familiar with the Indonesian dish of ayam penyet (smashed fried chicken).
The surprising part is who his teacher was. “I asked my 12-year-old son to show me how to use TikTok. I couldn’t even find the button to post,” he says with a laugh. The boy, his only child, now edits short videos for him — for a fee.
“If the editing takes him more than 10 minutes, he charges me $10 to $20. I usually keep videos under one minute because people don’t have the attention span,” says Anson.
He first focused on food shots, but found engagement low, with 200 to 500 likes for each food post on Instagram. Taking his son’s advice to post funny content, he pivoted to videos in September 2024.
His humorous skits now average 1,000 to 2,000 likes, with one brand-story video posted in June hitting 405,900 views. The TikTok account had fewer than 2,000 followers before the video; within three months, followers exceeded 7,000.
“It showed me audiences don’t just want slapstick content. They want substance, but told in a fun way,” he says.
Finding the right formula is an ongoing process.
“We’re still trying to get that balance right. Currently, it is 60 per cent filming, 40 per cent editing and 100 per cent wondering why the video isn’t going viral,” Anson says, chuckling.
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
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