At 1pm on a Wednesday, the food court simmers with hungry patrons, filtering from their nearby workplaces to a venue that not only serves them a delicious lunch, but a reason to feel good.   

Hawker centres populate every neighbourhood in Singapore, but standing proudly on the corner of an industrial backstreet of the Boon Keng district is one unlike the rest—Dignity Kitchen.

Lunchtime cooks up crowds of eager customers, queuing for a fix of their favourite dishes—from a spicy laksa, to a comforting bowl of wanton mee.

The secret ingredient to this hub of feel-good food? A mission of kindness, compassion and hope. Dignity Kitchen employs only staff who are people living with a physical and/or intellectual disability—a rare sight across businesses in a country where only 32 per cent of people living with a disability have access to secure and fair employment.  

What started in 2009 as a single hawker stall in a nearby food court has now stirs up daily crowds and employs almost 200 staff from varied backgrounds and abilities.

To date, Dignity Kitchen has also trained more than 2000 individuals, empowering them to turn newfound skills in food, hospitality and service into lasting independence.

Cooking up opportunity

Once submerged in the corporate world as a management consultant, founder Koh Seng Choon decided at the age of 50 to turn his business acumen towards good.

Amid the clattering of chopsticks and the rich sizzling of spices, Koh navigates the bustling food court he helped to create as he recalls the origins of the bustling venue.

It was during his early career when he travelled the world and observed people living with a disability relegated to the shadows. With limited workplaces offering safe and inclusive training and employment opportunities suited to the needs of people living with an intellectual or physical disability, Koh developed an appetite to create meaningful change across the employment landscape.

Upon returning to his hometown of Singapore, Koh recognised that people living with a disability were overlooked here too.

Deciding to marry his love of food with a mission to educate, uplift, and open doors for others, Dignity Kitchen sprouted as a social enterprise to provide opportunities for employment to those whose needs and value were being overlooked.   

He says: “The idea is to restore dignity to people, regardless of their abilities and background, by giving them opportunities and respect. Our mission is to be inclusive for the people who deserved these opportunities all along, even when there was no place to find them.”

The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year 2024 is a prestigious award given to him by the President of Singapore, but Koh says he is not motivated by the accolades or praise. His legacy is driven by a passion for making others feel seen, and his message is to promote acts of kindness for a more positive world.

Hoping his work might inspire more people to give back to society, he says: “Everyone is worthy. I encourage people to show kindness and compassion, and I spread this message to uplift people, regardless of what they are or aren’t capable of doing.”

Dignity Kitchen general manager Cindy Berlandier says employees bring energy and enthusiasm to their service, and their sense of fulfilment is apparent.

She says: “I love to see their smiling faces while they work – learning new skills and working here gives them pride in themselves.”

Fulfilling Koh’s mission, the staff trained on-site and employed across the kitchens and front counters of Dignity Kitchen earn more than just a wage, but confidence and a sense of purpose.

Serving change Down Under

What makes this taste even better? The concept has found its feet on home soil, with a Perth-based café opening in Joondalup recently. Training and hiring staff from varied abilities, The Good Company and Cafe Co is serving the Australian community with compassion and hope, too.

When founders Kerry and Lee Hickman observed the many barriers that their son, Ben, was facing as an adult with disabilities to find work, they realised it was time to put inclusivity on the menu. Hickman says: “We wanted to create a place that gave people like Ben a fair go, where kindness and community matter more than anything else.”

Through the experiences of their son Ben, the Hickman’s became aware that thousands of other Australians were facing the same challenges to find secure and suitable employment—a sad reality that the AIHW confirms, reporting less than 50 per cent of Australians aged between 15 and 65 years living with a disability are employed.

The Good Company and Cafe Co provides hospitality training and employment for adults with intellectual disabilities and autism to become a part of the solution to Australia’s hidden employment problem.

With an approach to training staff that emphasises abilities, not limitations, Kerry Hickman says the incredible work ethic of their skilful team has been their recipe for success, with the cafe drawing crowds from all over WA since doors opened in September.

She says: “This has been a beautiful reminder that people with disabilities do not need limits. They just need a little extra patience and understanding to shine.”

A testament to the success of equal-opportunity employment approaches, the Hickmans’ hope for the future is for more businesses to follow suit by providing inclusive workplaces that recognise the subverted potential of people with a disability.

From a bustling Singaporean hawker centre to a cosy Australian café, the mission remains the same: to create workplaces where people with disabilities are recognised not for their limitations, but for their unique talents and potential.

Dignity Kitchen and The Good Company and Cafe Co prove dignity grows and confidence flourishes when people with a disability aren’t just given a chance—they’re given a place to shine.

And as customers, all we have to do is pull up a chair as we are reminded that the most meaningful change can begin in the simplest place: in a kitchen, behind a counter, or over a shared meal. For work that enriches the community beyond the plate, these venues prove across continents and cuisines that fairness isn’t a charity, but a foundation for a more compassionate society.

An edited version of this story was published in PerthIsOK!