Third-generation hawker uses TikTok to grow family coconut milk stall

Lee Zhao Yuan, 27, a third-generation successor and basketball coach, plans to take over Fortune Coconut Whan Neng, a Singapore stall pressing 300 coconuts daily for fresh, preservative-free coconut milk, while using TikTok to attract younger customers. The stall, founded in the 1970s, processes coconuts into up to 100 litres of milk daily, selling at S$7.50 per litre. Lee’s father, 63, starts work at 4.30am, and the business supplies hawkers, bakeries, and restaurants like Kim Choo Kueh Chang. Lee, who currently handles marketing and visits thrice weekly, expects to fully take over within five years. He aims to move production to a central kitchen and develop new products, citing fresh milk’s stronger fragrance versus packaged versions.