MIA staff, nightmare customers: Woman 'nearly broken' running 2 food stalls at polytechnic
A woman who shut down two of her food stalls at a polytechnic explained why she did so in a video that has since gone viral.
A Stomper alerted Stomp to the May 16 video by TikTok user Sher @banapplee, in which she revealed the challenges of her job and how it "nearly broke" her.
Sher said: "People always say school canteens are easy money; low rent, steady crowd. But no one tells you the real cost."
While the low rent seemed like an advantage, it came with drawbacks: she had to price her food lower to remain affordable for students and staff.
In addition, polytechnic canteens close during holidays, e-learning weeks and term breaks, which meant her stalls made no income during these periods.
The biggest issue, however, was finding reliable staff.
Hiring full-time workers was not an ideal option for Sher, as she would still have to pay them when the canteen was closed.
On the other hand, part-time workers were often unreliable. Many would quit after term breaks or cancel their shifts at short notice.
In just 10 months, Sher cycled through 15 part-time workers, having to train them from scratch each time.
Due to the lack of manpower, Sher's family had to step in to help. Her mother, father, sister-in-law, and even her 77-year-old grandaunt all took food hygiene certificates to lend a hand.
Sher also said that while she enjoyed serving students, the nightmare came from the school's staff and lecturers.
One lecturer, "dressed in a full suit", had complained that a $3.60 meal - consisting of beehoon, ladyfinger, cabbage and a hotdog - was too expensive.
Another staff member scolded Sher's elderly grandaunt for "counting too slowly," while others demanded $3 meals, despite the pricing being for students only.
Sher admitted that she was "exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally" from managing the stalls, and advised listeners to "do your homework before starting anything."
Her video has garnered over 145,000 views, with many netizens expressing sympathy. Some also recalled eating at Sher's stalls and shared how much they missed the food.
One user commented: "Kudos to you for sharing. Too often, people only share their successes so people often forgot the reality of the business. May you come back stronger."
