In Singapore there is no shortage of well-known coffee chains such as Starbucks or third wave coffee houses that offer coffee specialties.
However, it's hard to repeat the old, rustic old-school charm of sipping kopi in a coffee shop.
Unfortunately, the demise of some traditional cafes like Chin Mee Chin and Hup Lee has left us wondering if these places will last much longer.
This was also the mindset of Kopifellas & # 39; founder Terry Neo, who started his own F&B business in 2017 to preserve Singapore's heritage.
Modernize traditional coffee
Photo credit: Timbre +
The National University of Singapore (NUS) business graduate is a huge fan of Singapore's traditional old-school coffee.
He was more drawn to Kopi O & # 39; s and Kopi Pengs than to cold brew and frappuccino.
So the 35-year-old wondered if there was a way for him to continue traditional coffee-making methods and update the concept to be a little "younger and cooler".
Coincidentally, Terry told Vulcan Post that he had always been keen to get out there and start his own business.
The ex-banker gave up his job in bond trading and fund management and founded Kopifellas.
Kopifellas started as a humble stand at Timbre + in One North.
Despite its name, the Kopifellas stand in Timbre + served coffee as well as a variety of creatively prepared beverages, including their own bubble tea concoctions.
It was quickly adopted by customers there as it managed to combine the contemporary with the traditional to suit different age groups and taste buds.
As the business grew, the team decided to expand into different industries and locations.
Inspired by traditional Asian cuisine, Kopifellas opened its second branch – a coffee shop in Toa Payoh – and started serving more products.
Terry brought more foods and choices to the menu in addition to the typical drinks.
Now Kopifellas has grown to three branches – the pioneer branch at Timbre +, another in the Beauty World Center and the Kopifellas Café at Toa Payoh.
FellasCube, a traditional café by day that transforms into a modern lifestyle bistro bar at night, expands its repertoire of F&B experiences.
Beginning a new age "Kopitiam"
Image credit: Kopifellas
For many of the younger generation, the word "kopitiam" can conjure up an image of seniors drinking Kopi in a cafe.
"We wanted to challenge that stereotype with FellasCube and keep our local heritage alive by adding a contemporary twist to the traditional Singaporean cafe," said Terry.
Terry and his team turn into a bar at night and hope to attract the younger generation and "make coffee shops relevant to them again".
Regarding the famous book “Blue Ocean Strategy”, we would like to see FellasCube in this “Blue Ocean” in which we are not directly competing with a traditional café or bistro bar.
Terry Neo, co-founder of Kopifellas
During the day, FellasCube is an inland breakfast eatery with freshly roasted kopi and unique toasted flavors like matcha milk and earl gray.
At night, it turns into a pub with local craft beer on tap from a collaboration with local breweries like RedDot Brewhouse and Rye & Pint Brewery.
Image credit: Kopifellas
The stalls at FellasCube are run by a group of street vendors who are passionate about serving high quality food at affordable prices.
Fellas' Roast and NoodleFellas, in particular, are proud creations of the Kopifellas team, while other stalls include Seans Western Cuisine and Moks Thai Kitchen.
A coffee shop opened during a pandemic
Image credit: Kopifellas
Even though Terry and his team were in the middle of the pandemic, they took a gamble and opened the FellasCube, which for him is the "highlight of the year".
From the background of financial trading, we all know that a recession will hit us every 10 to 12 years. Hence, the greatest benefit is that Kopifellas weathered our very first recession and we managed to survive.
Terry Neo, co-founder of Kopifellas
Rising rental and staff costs are among the challenges the team faces.
Like most other companies, 2020 was a particularly difficult year, says Terry.
With fewer customers at their booths, they stepped up their grocery delivery efforts and introduced new menus for customers to order.
"During the breaker, our entire way of working changed (and) we had to start from zero," said Terry.
Regardless, he's optimistic about the future of Kopifellas and plans to grow and expand into additional Kopifellas, Noodlefellas and FellasCube branches across Singapore.
Selected image source: Kopifellas
