A takeaway owner unable to open through lockdown has stayed connected with customers serving up positivity and inspiration instead of chicken satay and home-made wontons.
Bun Leng, the owner of popular south Auckland takeaway Satay Noodle House, has used social media to deliver his message of gratitude to customers.
Leng's entertaining posts, skits and memes are a snapshot of life as a hospitality worker trying to survive the global pandemic by coming up with creative ways to generate income.
As Auckland eyes a move to level 3 Leng is launching a fundraiser he hopes will help his business recover and provide meals to essential workers and those in need.
"People buy meals from our restaurant and then we give them to police, frontline workers and other essential workers and those struggling in our community," Leng said.
"There are a lot of people out there who are doing lockdown okay, who can still work and are saving money because they are not commuting."
"They feel good because they are making someone else's day."
Leng held the same fundraiser in level 3 2020 and was able to deliver $5,500 of meals to essential workers and families around Auckland.
The initiative, during level 3 in 2020, earned him a "shout out" from Facebook, which featured him in its Social Good section.
Bun Leng is today's Lockdown Hero.
Leng says his positive attitude and gratitude stem in part from being the youngest son of Cambodian refugee parents who came to New Zealand 40 years ago.
Leng was born in New Zealand but the rest of his family came here after escaping the brutal Khmer Rouge regime.
A huge photo of his family, taken at a refugee camp in Thailand as they made their way to New Zealand, takes pride of place on the wall of his restaurant on the main street in Papakura.
"My parents came here with zero dollars, so the two pillars I speak about almost every day are gratitude and perspective."
"Even if I lost everything I would still have a head start on where my parents were. I feel grateful every day."
Leng's parents opened Satay Noodle House 21 years ago and Leng took over the business when his father retired in 2017.
Leng's upbeat posts include funny memes, business advice, exercise struggles, as well as ticket and voucher giveaways.
He has more than 20,000 followers over social media and has grabbed the attention of television, radio and print media.
"People write daily, asking for business advice or want to talk about mental health or it might just be to say they saw something I did that made them laugh.
"I think it's because I put my thoughts on everything out there and people come back to me and tell me if they've had a bad morning and something I did helped cheer them up."
Despite having no income in level 4 Leng gave away grocery vouchers to those in need.
He asked followers on Instagram and Facebook to nominate local people they knew were struggling.
"It's a nice way to give and it also makes the person on the receiving end feel really good that someone is thinking about them."
The young entrepreneur is even positive and open about paying the bills, posting bank receipts when he has paid staff and suppliers.
"I see it as motivation and think if I have bills to pay I have to get up and find a way to pay them.
"I feel grateful, it's not like I am out chasing chickens for food or in a country at war."
Leng is hopeful Auckland will be able to drop to level 3 this week so the restaurant can offer takeaways for collection.
"I've popped in and done some cleaning and given it a bit of energy,"
"I went in and it was a bit sad and a bit dark so I gave it some love. I've really missed seeing my customers."
To find out about Leng's fundraiser click here.
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