Meet Shirli, a dynamic content creator, actress, and co-founder of 8889 Chicken Hotpot. Balancing her vibrant online presence with entrepreneurship, Shirli has captivated audiences with her engaging content while building a F&B business.
As a grandmother at 34, she defies expectations and inspires others with her passion for storytelling, business, and family. Her journey reflects resilience, creativity, and a drive to turn bold ideas into thriving ventures. Here is her story on how she got started with her chicken hotpot business.
What inspired you to start 8889 Chicken Hotpot, and how does your background as an influencer or actress shape your approach to the business?
I started the chicken hotpot business because I was financially unstable at the time. I’ve always been very thrifty, so I’d look for recipes and cook at home to save costs, especially since I have a big family.
I started experimenting with chicken hotpot recipes and hosting my friends. They all loved them and encouraged me to open a food stall. So, it all began with the desire to save money while providing delicious meals for my family and friends.
As for my influencer or actress background, it wasn’t my own influence that directly helped the business. Instead, it was the supportive network around me. For example, after filming “Ah Girls Go Army”, I met influencers like Charlene, who introduced her friends to my food. Charlene even recommended Miss Tam Chiak to try my food and promote it. It’s really the circle of people around me who’ve helped promote my business.
How do you balance your entrepreneurial venture with your career in acting and content creation?
It’s quite challenging to balance both, but I manage by prioritising my time. When I have acting commitments, I make sure my business is running smoothly, and when I have time between shoots, I check in on the outlets. I’ve learned to be flexible and to delegate tasks where possible so that both my entrepreneurial venture and acting career can continue to thrive.
What challenges did you face when you started your chicken hotpot business, and how did you overcome them?
I had no experience in the F&B industry, and I’m a very straightforward person. If a customer came in and said something nasty or complained that my food was expensive, I used to get very angry. Sometimes I would say things like, “You think my rent is free ah?”
I knew this wasn’t the right way, but I couldn’t control my temper. My biggest struggle was controlling my temper, and it was very difficult.
Over time, I learned that the customer is always right. When you please the customer, they spread the word – they say your service is good, your food is good, and they come back. If you act yaya papaya (arrogant), people get angrier, and you lose them.
As for the physical work – washing, cooking, standing for long hours, dealing with dirt and oil – I was OK with that.
How do you differentiate your chicken hotpot store in Singapore’s competitive food market?
The difference is in the Kampung chicken I use. When I say “Grade A,” I mean not just antibiotic- and hormone-free, which is common for Kampung chicken. Our chickens are fed a special diet and raised in clean, well-conditioned environments.
This makes their meat extra tender and nutritious. Also, our soup base contains zero MSG. We strictly don’t use MSG – just natural ingredients – because we want to promote healthy eating.
Over time, I learned that the customer is always right. When you please the customer, they spread the word – they say your service is good, your food is good, and they come back.
What advice would you give food entrepreneurs starting their first venture?
If you’re hands-on and planning to run the place yourself, go ahead and start. But if you think you can open multiple outlets, hire staff, and just shake legs at home, you’ll wait long long. Unless you have a strong system or someone experienced to manage it, it’s very hard.
I ran my own stall for five years before expanding. Even then, I felt I didn’t have enough experience. You need to control food wastage, handle customer service, and maintain quality. When you’re there, staff may behave well – polite, clean, hardworking – but when you’re not, it’s different.
Customers will complain. If you don’t have someone trustworthy to run things for you, you have to do it all by yourself. Running multiple stalls is difficult.
What are your future plans for 8889 Chicken Hot Pot business?
When I first opened, I told myself I only wanted one outlet – even 10 years later. There is one restaurant I looked up to. They have one big outlet, and that’s it. I want to do the same – one stall, the best quality, the best taste. I tried expanding, and even if it fails, I have no regrets because I tried. As for the future of the remaining 3 stalls, I will need to speak to the investors before deciding on the next move.
You’re also busy with acting lately. Can you share more about your upcoming movie?
Yes! I have a new movie “Aunty LIKE, Aunty SUBSCRIBE!”《Aunty 当网红》coming out next year (May or June 2025). It’s about an auntie becoming an influencer – showing that you don’t have to be young and pretty to be an influencer. It’s a fun local production with talents from Singapore and Malaysia. It’s Mayiduo’s first movie as a director, and I hope everyone will support it.
Where do you see yourself, and what’s your vision for Singapore in the next five years?
My kids are growing up, and I want to spend more time with them – focusing on their character and studies. So, I’ll stick with one chicken hotpot stall. If someone wants to buy my brand or recipe, I’ll sell it. If not, I might do franchising.
Content creation is also important to me. It brings in better short-term income than running multiple stalls.
For Singapore, I hope there are more grants for F&B owners and lower levies for work permits. Hiring staff is tough – Singaporeans want higher pay and aircon environments. Hawker jobs are hot and tiring. Foreign workers are often more reliable – they don’t take MC so often. If the levies were lower, it would help the F&B industry.
Connect with Shirli: Instagram and Tiktok.
