What To Eat’s Vanishing Act Leaves Food Stallholders High and Dry
When the door at Whampoa’s What To Eat office finally closed two weeks ago, it wasn’t just the boxes of dumplings that went out of sight—so did the company’s tracker. The owner, Mr Benson Lo Kwang Meng, has gone off the grid, leaving behind a trail of unpaid bills and empty orders.
Money, Missed Deliveries, and the Quest for Answers
Food stall owners are scrambling to recover funds that drip into an invisible account. Below are the main voices in the saga:
- Little Gobbles Cafe owner Anthony Fok says the service has been ignoring payments since March. “We’ve been decent—covering orders around $50 to $100 each—but now we’re looking at a debt that runs into the thousands,” he told The New Paper.
- Vegan chef Ng Wai Lek of nomVnom claims he’s owed about $4,000. “They started cutting payments two years back, and in September they simply stopped paying altogether,” he insists. Ng has already filed a police report and is hoping the Small Claims Tribunal will hold Mr Lo accountable.
- Other vendors echo the same tone: “Unpaid, uncontactable, and unfair.” These grievances have translated into a slew of negative Google reviews—clearly a recipe for a bad reputation.
The Office That Moved Like a Ghost
Visiting the registered address at 167 Geylang Road on Tuesday, a security guard confirmed the company is no longer here. The guard recalled countless unscheduled visits from gangbusters of food owners trying to locate Mr Lo.
“The police came a month ago. Two weeks later, Mr Lo packed his bags, handed over the keys, and vanished,” the guard recounted. It appears What To Eat still exists on official company rolls, but the operational heartbeat has stopped.
Regulators and the Road Ahead
- Police have already opened a case. A spokesperson confirmed that a formal complaint is in progress.
- Consumers Association of Singapore says the company’s sudden closure has been formally lodged as a complaint.
- The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority records still list What To Eat as a registered business—yet the business model seems to have disintegrated.
What Happens Next?
It remains to be seen whether authorities can resurrect the missing funds and restore trust in the food delivery ecosystem. Meanwhile, local customers are left with wave‑waving receipts for meals that never delivered, and vendors hoping for a justice showdown.
In the words of Anthony Fok: “It’s not just about the bucks—it’s about integrity and trust.” The hope is that a robust enforcement check will teach a costly lesson to those who stumble into the food delivery arena again.
