Cheaper kopi-o, teh-o for seniors in Nee Soon South, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
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Cheaper kopi-o, teh-o for seniors in Nee Soon South

This article is more than 12 months old

Housewife Phua Chew Hoi, 61, meets up with her friends for a chat and a kopi-o three to four times a week at a coffee shop in Yishun.

Starting this Wednesday, they will have even more reason to do so.

A cup of kopi-o kosong or teh-o kosong will cost 50 cents instead of the usual $1.10.

The discount, available every Wednesday morning, applies to those in the Merdeka and Pioneer generations ordering from coffee shops in Nee Soon South.

The discount is "not bad", said Madam Phua in Mandarin. She has lived in the area for more than 30 years and this initiative is a first, she said.

"We usually order drinks with lower sugar content, such as kopi-o, because some of those in my group have health conditions such as diabetes."

The year-long initiative was launched by Ms Lee Bee Wah, an MP for Nee Soon GRC, yesterday morning.

All 10 privately owned coffee shops in Nee Soon South will offer the discount from opening until noon on Wednesdays.

A similar initiative was announced in April at about 100 coffee shops and foodcourts run by NTUC Foodfare and Kopitiam.

But the Nee Soon South initiative is the first that involves privately owned coffee shops.

"This is a very good opportunity to show our appreciation for our Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation," said Ms Lee.

The initiative also aims to encourage residents to exercise in the morning and hang out with fellow residents afterwards, said Ms Lee.

She said the coffee shop owners were supportive and agreed to the initiative.

Mr Seth Soh, 29, manager of Welcome Cafe coffee shop at Block 848 Yishun Ring Road, said the initiative was meaningful as it supports a healthy lifestyle for seniors.

While he acknowledged that overall profits would come down, he said the initiative was a worthwhile one.

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