\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s not successful, just cut losses\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Ben first ventured into the fish soup business in September 2023 when he launched Tan Xiang Sliced Fish Soup, a spinoff of his Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat Restaurant, with a stall in a <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Toa Payoh<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> coffeeshop.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Although the outlet <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>relocated after shutting nine months<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> later, the concept proved popular enough for him to embark on an aggressive expansion plan in 2025, opening six fish soup stalls in quick succession at locations including <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Orchard Towers<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, Clementi, and Ang Mo Kio.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n But the rapid expansion proved unsustainable.<\/p>\n “Some outlets made money, some didn’t. But overall, we lost a mid-five-figure sum,\u201d he tells 8days.sg.<\/p>\n \u201cWe gave ourselves one year to see results. If it\u2019s not successful, just cut losses.”\u00a0<\/p>\n He adds: \u201cDoing business is all about making money. Even if you break even every month, or you make pennies, it\u2019s not a good business.\u201d<\/p>\n The closures affect only the standalone Tan Xiang Sliced Fish Soup stalls. The dish is still available at Ben’s zi char outlets in <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Kallang<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Chai Chee<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n