Long lines for RM3 per plate chicken rice

Cheap eats: Ong sells his standard plate of chicken rice at RM3. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: Chicken rice seller Ong Eng Kim slashed the price of his standard plate of chicken rice by about 40% – from RM5 to RM3 – and now he gets long lines of happy customers every day.

The 50-year-old did this since last October at his stall in a coffee shop in Jalan Macalister here.

“After the movement control order, I saw that many people were facing financial constraints.

“By reducing my price, I am able to keep customers coming,” he said.

His price cut reduced his gross profit per plate to between 30sen and 50sen.

But he made up for it in volume.

“I’m able to sell about 20 chickens a day, which make almost 200 plates of chicken rice,” Ong told The Star.

Those who want their chicken rice with succulent drumstick meat will, of course, have to pay more.

Due to extra costs, Ong needs to charge an extra RM1 for takeaways unless customers bring their own takeaway containers.

Customers pay the same price if they bring their own takeaway containers.

A check on the long line of his customers queuing up on Friday showed that many of his customers brought their own containers.

“I don’t want to use too much of single-use plastic and hope to encourage people to bring reusable containers,” Ong said.

“Some regular customers bring the same containers dozens of times until I recognise their containers.”

The prices of ingredients have been rising but Ong figures he can still manage the costs and keep his standard plate of chicken rice at RM3.

“I get my raw ingredients from wholesalers and I roast the chickens myself,” he said.

Among the customers queuing up was a grandmother who wished to be known only as Saw, 68, who carried enough containers to buy eight plates of chicken rice.

“Three of my grandchildren enjoy their meals directly from the containers once I bring them home,” she added.

Entrepreneur Warren Tan, 35, expressed delight at the price because in 2009 he shared a post on Facebook of a picture of a plate of chicken rice which was also RM3.

“Now, 14 years later, we can still get chicken rice for RM3!” Tan said.

Ong’s stall is open daily from 9.30am to about 1.30pm, except Sundays.