Donovan Wong, 33, put around S$40,000 into Ate Cookies at Golden Mile Food Centre. He operates the business mostly by himself, with his parents occasionally stepping in to help.

Before entering the food industry, Wong spent more than two years as a relationship manager at a bank. He graduated with a Banking and Finance degree from the University of London through the Singapore Institute of Management, but has chosen not to disclose which bank he worked for.

His move into food and beverage began about five years ago after he left banking and took a kitchen job at burger chain Five Guys.

It was there that he met former restaurant chef Joe Cheong. The pair later teamed up to launch Wen Li Taiwanese Food at Golden Mile Food Centre in 2021, according to HungryGoWhere.

At Wen Li, Wong takes charge of the business side, including finance, administration, marketing and human resources, while Cheong focuses on the kitchen.

Their first venture was not without setbacks. Rising rent and an unsuccessful attempt to expand early on taught Wong to move more cautiously with future projects.

“I was too hasty in my first venture. We attempted expansion in our first year and failed miserably,” he told 8days.

That experience influenced how he approached Ate Cookies. Wong spent more than a year searching for a stall with rent he considered sustainable before finally launching the concept.

Unlike Wen Li, the cookie business is structured so that he can run almost everything himself. His parents provide occasional support with paperwork and daily operations. “The hard thing about solo venturing is I’m the brain, body, hands and legs,” he said.

Wong had never baked professionally before starting Ate Cookies.

The idea emerged after eating a Subway cookie and wondering whether he could make a thicker, richer version.

He later drew inspiration from Levain Bakery in New York, known for its large, chunky cookies. Wong studied images and videos of its products online before developing his own recipes tailored to local tastes rather than attempting a direct copy.

The stall currently sells four varieties. Walnut Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin and Matcha Macadamia White Chocolate cost S$5.5 each, while the Chocolate Lava Cookie, filled with melted chocolate, is priced at S$7.

Each cookie weighs around 180–200 grams, considerably larger than the 120–150-gram versions commonly sold elsewhere.

Ate Cookies produces roughly 60–70 cookies a day, with office workers and younger customers making up much of its clientele. Wong describes sales as “slow but steady.”

He deliberately chose a hawker center rather than a full bakery as a relatively low-risk place to see whether the concept could gain traction.

Wong has yet to earn more from his food ventures than he did in banking and admits he sometimes misses the security of a regular paycheck and employee benefits.

Still, he says he has no regrets about leaving finance and hopes Ate Cookies can eventually develop into a standalone bakery.