Debt collectors turn up at Lao Huo Tang Group eateries across S'pore, claim over $500k unpaid since 2024
Debt collectors were spotted at several Lao Huo Tang Group-owned eateries across Singapore on Feb 15.
Stomper Garv said he saw staff from A.S.K Debt Recovery at Lao Huo Tang restaurant in Waterway Point.
Stomper Hmm reported seeing debt collectors from the same company at Lao Huo Tang Signature in Tampines Mall, commenting: "Lao Huo Tang is so famous but owes money."
Another Stomper said debt collectors were also present at Singapura Heritage in The Seletar Mall, which is owned by the Lao Huo Tang Group.
"They are quite famous right, maybe they owe money," the Stomper said.
The Lao Huo Tang Group was founded in 2008 as a hawker stall in Singapore before expanding into a restaurant chain in 2011. Ex-actor Edmund Chen is featured on its website as an ambassador, along with actress Lynn Poh.
In response to a Stomp query, A.S.K Debt Recovery claims the Lao Huo Tang Group has owed its client, a wholesale supplier, a substantial sum since 2024.
"Our client has been extremely patient and granted repeated extensions for payment, but the outstanding sum has now accumulated to over $500,000," an A.S.K Debt Recovery spokesperson said.
"Before visiting any outlets, we made numerous attempts to resolve the matter amicably.
"We called the contact numbers provided, visited the registered office address (which they had vacated), and through further investigations located another office address. Unfortunately, our officers were met with non-cooperation.
"We also visited the group's founder and chief executive officer Mr Thomas Hong's residential premises, but were unable to meet him."
The debt collection agency said only after exhausting these avenues did it proceed to send officers to visit the outlets, including Lau Huo Tang at NEX and Lau Huo Tang at Marina Square as well as those seen by the Stompers.
The spokesperson also told Stomp that the company's officers received the "same dialogue" at all outlets they visited such as, "I don't know where my boss is", "my boss isn't in" and "I don't know who's the boss".
"We captured all this on our officers' body cams," the spokesperson added.
"We will continue making visits to several outlets as part of our recovery efforts.
"Our intention remains to seek engagement and resolve the matter amicably on behalf of our client."
Stomp has reached out to the Lao Huo Tang Group for comment.
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