The founder of Putien, a 58‑year‑old entrepreneur, now leads a food‑and‑beverage group with about 2,500 employees and SGD400 million (US$313 million) in annual revenue. He took over as manager of the original Kitchener Road outlet in early October, just before its 26th anniversary on Oct. 31.

He inspects the kitchen, welcomes diners, listens to feedback, and even sweeps floors and cleans glass panels. He starts his day at 9 a.m. in the office, then goes downstairs to watch lunch preparations and talk with customers.

He calls the return a “homecoming.” He says it helps him focus on diners, see the business from a different perspective, and make adjustments where needed. He also says his customer‑first view comes from his childhood in Putian, Fujian, where his grandmother taught him to give the best to guests.

He launched Putien on Oct. 12 2000 with SGD200,000, an eight‑table, non‑air‑conditioned eatery that could serve up to 60 diners with seven staff. Today the brand has about 90 outlets across Asia, including 18 in Singapore.