They didn’t want to inherit the family business. Now, Tan Ser Seng’s 3rd generation owners are fighting for its traditions

Eighty years after its founding, the traditional family business Tan Ser Seng is undergoing a major evolution as its third-generation owners take over. Originally started by their grandfather who sold herbal soup from pots balanced on a bamboo pole, the current owners initially resisted inheriting the enterprise.

Today, the reluctant successors are actively fighting to preserve the brand's heritage while adapting to modern commercial realities. As part of this effort, the third-generation owners are opening the business's very first outlet located inside a shopping mall.

Through this new mall-based location, the proprietors hope to introduce the traditional herbal soup to a new generation of consumers. The move represents a strategic balance between maintaining the historic traditions of the 80-year-old establishment and pursuing contemporary survival strategies.