Phillip Kyaw hands over grocery business to his brother-in-law after a life-threatening brain injury

A life-altering health scare has led Phillip Kyaw to step away from his small business of 12 years, which has been offering authentic Asian staples, to focus on his health and family.

The former owner of Mingalar Asian Grocery has handed over the store to his brother-in-law, John Chuan, who is eager to build on Phillip’s hard work by bringing more products to the local community.

Phillip informed his customers on Facebook earlier this week about the change of ownership and the store’s rebranding to J Family Asian Grocery.

“I’m so grateful for your loyalty, trust, and support,” Phillip told his customers. “It has been an unforgettable 12-year journey in business. I will now focus more on my health and family time. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.”

What should have been a joyous occasion for the Kyaw family — welcoming their youngest daughter — turned into a medical nightmare in July 2023 when Phillip collapsed in a toilet at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, suffering a severe brain injury.

“I just passed out without warning and fell to the floor. I suffered a blood clot in my brain,” Phillip said.

“They had to rush to save my life by drilling a hole in my skull. They couldn’t finish the operation here in Wagga due to a shortage of specialists, so they transferred me by helicopter to Canberra Hospital.

“I woke up in Canberra after being in a coma for eight days. My wife had to give birth without me and worry about me at the same time.”

Despite the family’s ordeal, the father of two is grateful his daughter was born healthy.

The injury took a toll on Phillip’s health, with everything becoming slow for him to process.

Soon enough, his cognitive impairments began to affect his business.

“I couldn’t see my future clearly. The business didn’t really pick up. I used to remember all my products, but after the brain injury, everything changed,” Phillip said.

Understanding the road to his mental and physical recovery would be long and arduous, the small business owner made the tough call to step away from the store to focus on his health and family.

Phillip said he is immensely grateful to all those who have supported him since his injury, including Mayor Dallas Tout, who helped him contact the bank and his landlord to suspend his payments, the Burmese community, and the wider Wagga community.

“I want to thank all Wagga residents who have been my customers and supported me from the start,” he said.

Despite all the support, Phillip passed the store on to his brother-in-law, who is well-known in the Burmese community and trained to take over.

He is happy to pass on the business to someone he trusts and wishes his brother-in-law success with the store.

John shared that while he is excited about his new venture, he is also a little worried.

“This is my first small business in Australia, so it’s a new experience for me. I sometimes worry, but I’m doing my best,” John said.

“Phillip has trained me well — he’s taught me everything, from the casual tasks to the big ones. I’ve learned that running a business is a lot of work, but I’m ready for the challenge.

“I want to thank Phillip for everything, and I’ll do my best to continue the store. He promised to help me until I’m fully comfortable with everything.”

John wants the Wagga community to know he will continue to offer great Asian food and is planning to bring more products from Korea, Japan, and the Philippines.

He said the store name would change in the next few weeks.

Mingalar Asian Grocery is located at 2/40 Tompson Street, Wagga Wagga, and is open Monday to Friday, 11 am to 6 pm, Saturday 10 am to 4 pm, and Sunday 11 am to 3:30 pm.