The relentless obsession with Melbourne cafes is such a worldwide phenomenon to the extent where virtually every cosmopolitan city is jumping on the bandwagon of serving Melburnian-inspired brunch, alongside aromatic Australian flat whites. From Two Hands, and Little Collins in New York City, to Lantana Cafe and Kaffeine in London, Melbourne-style cafes can be found in many cities around the World today.

Needless to say, Singapore is too unspared from this global trend. Will these cafes continue to become a part of our daily lives, or will the bulk of these establishments disappear like the Bubble Tea fad? Only time will tell.

According to National Population and Talent Division, approximately 50,000 Singaporeans live in Australia. Most of them return to Singapore after graduation and/or a few years of work, only to find themselves sorely missing Down Under’s handcrafted coffee. The demand for artisanal coffees is high, especially when Singaporeans today are increasingly well-travelled too. Spurred by a group of young ambitious entrepreneurs and expats, a cafe culture was born.

It has only been but five years since the café bug bit us. 40 Hands was one of the pioneer specialty coffee cafes that emerged in 2010 – where it has transformed the previously sleepy Tiong Bahru neighbourhood forever. Today, there are hundreds of similar specialty coffee shops catered for affluent yuppies. Judging from our Instagram feeds, consumers are clearly craving for more. Here, we look deeper into Singapore’s cafe scene and where it is headed to!

THE EVOLUTION OF CAFES IN SINGAPORE

While nobody can predict the future, we can vouch for the tremendous improvements of Singapore’s cafe scene. It is a continuous journey for both cafes and patrons, where both parties are constantly learning about coffee and food. Gone are the days where customers are satisfied with just Starbucks; Singaporeans’ palates are undoubtedly evolving and expectation are hence higher.

Jane Hia, founder of Kith Cafe, agrees that cafes nowadays are a lot more serious with their food offerings and decent coffee is almost a given. She attributes fierce competition as a huge motivation, where it keeps everyone on their toes and push them to keep up the standards.

OF STANDARDS AND LIFESTYLE DEMANDS

“Only those who are consistently good will survive. Down the line, I believe consumer lifestyles are gradually changing and cafes will take on a bigger role in their daily lives. It will no longer be about novelty. It will become a way of life,” she said.

Ryan Pang, owner of Habitat Cafe, has too expressed his views that standards of food and coffee are getting higher. “It is really competitive right now, where the cafe scene is becoming increasingly commercialised,” he said.

Many youngsters – high school students included – have no qualms splurging S$5 to S$7 for just a cup of coffee, even though they could get a traditional kopi from the hawker at just a dollar. Singaporeans’ dramatic increase in disposable income and spending power plays an important role in sustaining the café scene here on our sunny island where there are cafes at almost every corner of the city now. Locals aside, the influx of well-off expatriates is also vital to the café industry. Singapore is indeed after all no longer a small fishing village but a full-fledged metropolis.

SINGAPORE’S CAFES – YAY OR NAY

Now the big question is: Have Singapore’s cafes nailed it? Some say yes and some say no.

Substance ultimately determines a café’s fate and Singapore’s rising community of discerning diners is able to distinguish between what is fad and what is fab. New café establishments definitely need more than just a pretty façade to convert first-time patrons into regulars.

Andrew Lek, owner of Department of Caffeine and The Populus Coffee & Food Co., said there is greater wisdom now. “Food served must taste good and cannot just look pretty,” he added.

“Fads probably seem like a big deal in Singapore because queuing up for something or being ‘kiasu’ is very much ingrained in the Singaporean DNA. That said, I think fads die faster too. Food is such an important part of our culture, couple that with amplifying effects from social media, it just makes it easier for the nation to talk about it. I don’t think anyone in history has ever shared so much information about food and there is only more to come,” said Jane.

While social media platforms such as Instagram are a great way for cafes to gain public awareness, it is also a tool where owners find themselves extremely vulnerable to. Derrick Chew, owner of Hyde & Co, akins Instagram to a double–edged sword, where it has helped to raise awareness for his brand but there are too several downsides to the popular mobile app.

THE BENCHMARK FOR ALL CAFES AND SINGAPORE’S LIMITATIONS

So why is it that many potential cafes in Singapore actually end up paling in comparison when compared to Melbourne’s cafes? For many years, people from all walks of life have expressed their fascination towards Melbourne cafes’ exceptionally high standards. The formula for success lies in the Aussies’ everlasting love for gastronomy; the pursuit of excellence is an endless journey fuelled by fervour. And of course, the abundance of fresh ingredients, and the blessing of great lands and environments!

Unfortunately, being a nation deprived of natural resources has posed as an indirect problem. Sourcing of fresh premium ingredients is a costly affair and customers might not be ready to pay for such luxuries. Yet, Melbourne’s accessibility to plenty of fresh resources and decades of experience have given them an upper hand in being one of the world’s best dining destinations.

The cafe capital of Australia is also synonymous with the world’s best coffees, where baristas are looked up to with revered admiration. Sadly, the same cannot be said for Singapore, where only barristers and other white-collared professions are treated with high respect.

BIG DREAMS AND EASY MONEY… NOT

On the other hand, many Singaporean restaurateurs have wrongly mistaken Melbourne-inspired cafe concepts as moneymaking schemes. Andrew (from The Populus Coffee & Food Co.) explains that most people did not know that being a cafe owner is actually a 24-hour commitment. Most importantly, he emphasises that money cannot solve everything. It takes an incredible amount of resilience.

Dreaming of opening a cafe one day? Here are 10 things you should know before opening a cafe.

This attitude discrepancy underlines an issue for the future of Singapore cafés. While it is true that the paradigm towards F&B has been shifting, a lot still has to be done. How does one expect a world-class café industry in Singapore when coffee-making is considered an unsustainable career option for Singaporeans? Yet, being a professional barista is an aspiration for many young Melbournians. Go figure.

Adding a random vintage bicycle into the décors and serving lackluster but Instagram-worthy dishes might fool some, but not the well-informed foodies. Once the novelty wears off, food lovers in the know will not return. The undying fiery passions one sees in Melbourne can never be replicated with money, nor can culinary skills acquired over the years be mimicked overnight.

THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

According to Singapore’s Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, nearly a quarter of the 391 cafes that opened in 2014 have already shut its doors. On the bright side, this alarming statistics also signify a movement – local entrepreneurship is on the rise. As the wise Oprah Winfrey once said, “Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.” May the determined never give up!

The phrase “survival of the fittest” is perhaps the best way to describe the cafe scene in Singapore. There is no lack of options, and mediocre cafes simply will not stay for long.

At the end of the day, this might not ultimately be a bad thing for us. We value quality over quantity, because we simply cannot handle disappointment from a sour coffee and overly cooked eggs every other day.

And if everyone’s just simply jumping on the bandwagon of serving a trendy food or dish-of-the-moment without truly knowing your craft, or trying to get away with shitty coffee, or boringly serving Eggs Benedict and French Toast and all that predictable brunch food, the cafe will not be sustainable.

Cafe owners often talk about their struggles and challenges, and how the uphill struggle occurs because there are “too many cafes around”. But the truth is, only the best cafes who constantly adapt, innovate and improve on their offerings will survive.

Still interested to open a cafe? Read our in-depth interviews with cafe owners on how much it costs to open a new cafe in Singapore.

Words by: Ng Hui Jun
Edited by: Brad Lau, Melody Yap

So you have heard about the things you should know before opening a café. Let’s jump over to the other side of the fence and see how the world is.

With cafés opening every other day in Singapore, it is seemingly becoming a popular option for youngsters and students to work in one. Some aspire to be trained baristas, some simply love to serve. They do seem like they are always having fun – hearty laughs and chatting in between tasks.

But is it really so? There are things that happen behind the scenes, things that regular customers would not otherwise observe or realize, and they are not always the prettiest things to share.

While working in a café has its fair share of fun, let’s discover 5 Things You Never Knew About Working In A Café:

#1 CUSTOMERS HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE OR BREAK OUR DAY

I remember on my first day of work, my boss gave me a heads up by warning me that there would come a point in time where some customers would make me lose faith in humanity (“but continue to smile and have fun,” he continued).

While I think that this is too heavy a statement, I must say that it definitely holds a certain amount of truth in it. Having worked in a café for several months now, I have experienced first-hand how much an impact customers can leave behind, simply by their attitudes and responses towards us. Customers who are overly demanding, impatient and rude will ruin our day without a doubt, and this takes its effect on our service as much as we try to keep things professional.

On the other side of the coin, we truly appreciate friendly and understanding customers! When working and serving in a café for hours repeatedly, friendly customers are almost like an instant gratification and perks for us. Be it leaving notes for us on serviettes or simply thanking us before heading out, such gestures actually mean a lot to us especially on long days!

#2 WORKING IN A CAFÉ IS NOT GLAM AT ALL

Before I started my part-time job in the café, I was expecting something laid-back and bluntly put, brainless. And I am pretty sure this is what many of you think, too. But the job is really not as simple as it looks! There is so much more than simply “standing there and looking good”, as some would think.

As a service crew, you have to do the dishes and wash the coffee machine parts. Also, there will come many situations when customers put you in a spot and you are required to think quickly on your feet to meet the myriad of requests and expectations that they have.

For the girls, it is almost normal to have your manicured nails chipped so brace yourself if you are thinking of working in a café – there is definitely more than meets the eye! Oh, you should not wear your expensive clothes too lest they get stains!

#3 WE DO NOT GET TO EAT ALL THE GOOD FOOD

Part of the excitement about working in a café is the idea of being able to eat all the good food on work days – or so, I thought. Think endless truffles fries and chocolate tarts! But contrary to popular belief, working in a café doesn’t grant you the trump card of ordering from the menu for free all the time.

The truth is, you will be too swamped with serving and attending to customers most of the time that you would hardly have time to eat. In fact, as ironic as it may be, working in café has the potential to mess up your eating habits because you do not get to eat at regular timings; in extreme cases, it gets so crowded that you might not get to eat for the entire duration of your shift! Yes, it is part of the deal.

#4 A LOT OF HARD WORK AND PRACTICE IS PUT INTO THE CUP OF COFFEE THAT YOU SIP

Each cuppa served is the product of a lot of hard work, dedication and passion – there is so much more going on behind that cup of Flat White or Latte that you Instagram before drinking!

Pouring a clean latte art takes months after months of practice and sheer determination; it is definitely not as effortless as it looks. Baristas take their pours very seriously and they constantly try to improve on their techniques and invent new designs to present.

Some perfectionists will not serve the coffee until and unless they are satisfied with their pour. That is the amount of seriousness and dedication put into your cup of coffee. So please do take some time to appreciate the art instead of chugging it down immediately!

Read our guide to Singapore’s top independent coffee shops.

#5 INSTAGRAM-ED IT? WE SAW IT!

Thanks to Instagram’s geo-tag function, at the end of every shift, we would and love browsing through the tags to see how much you have enjoyed your time at our café. We also take the chance to look out for feedback that can help us to improve on our service and food. This is how we usually conclude our days.

That said, we are all constantly looking out for constructive comments that will help us to improve, so on your next visit, if you have something to say, it will mean a lot to us if you could take some time to pen your thoughts down.

About the writer:
Jane Y. is an undergrad and a cake-lover. She works part-time at one of Singapore’s cafes, and she spends her weekends serving very busy brunch crowds. An occasional coffee junkie, she also has a keen interest on her cuppa and she always makes sure her customers leave satisfied with their coffee and food.

New cafes are opening in Singapore at a faster rate than you can say “let’s go cafe-hopping”. Many people dream of opening their own cafe one day. But in Singapore’s competitive food & beverage industry, is it really that easy to start a cafe?

We had a chat with Miss Daphne Goh – owner of Assembly Coffee, one of our favourite coffee shops in Singapore – to find out more about the challenges of running a cafe. Before you jump on the bandwagon, here are 10 things you should know before opening a cafe:

Read: From rental, to interior design, labour cost, and kitchen equipment, here is a rough guide on how much it costs to open a cafe in Singapore. 

#1 THE OWNER HAS TO BE HANDS ON

Clearing tables. Checked. Washing dirty plates and cups. Checked. Serving tables. Checked. Dealing with difficult customers. Checked. Getting your hands full in the kitchen. Checked. Working a full 12-hour shift and on weekends. Checked.

Unless you are hiring someone to run the operations, you have to be responsible for everything in the cafe. Not only do you have to set an example for your staff, you have to present to make sure that everything is running smoothly and to troubleshoot immediately.

#2 A MOUNTAIN OF PAPERWORK AND ADMIN STUFF

From settling the payroll, to rostering the work schedule for your staff, to filing the accounts for the cafe, there are a lot of paperwork that you have to do. These are the boring back-end stuff that you do not see.

#3 YOU HAVE TO DO ENOUGH RESEARCH ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO SELL

These days, consumers are very discerning and savvy; they know exactly what they want. In short, you can’t expect to serve mediocre food and drinks and get away with it.

Recipes don’t just appear out of nowhere. They are only possible with many trials in the kitchen. One of the common misconceptions about opening a cafe is that most people think it is more important to focus only on the design and interior.

#4 DEALING WITH SUPPLIERS WILL BE YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE

Your supplies don’t just appear magically. Dealing with suppliers is a skill on its own. Sometimes, suppliers will leave you hanging by not showing up, and that is when you have to think on your feet and figure out how to react.

You risk incurring the wrath of your customers when you do not have enough ingredients, you risk bearing the increased food cost due to the shortage of ingredients, and all these will eat into your (already very thin) profit margin.

#5 YOU HAVE TO BE AT THE CAFE EVERY DAY

Running a cafe is not easy. Period. You have to be at the cafe every day and you will be working so hard that you would question yourself about the heavy commitment and if it would be all worth it.

#6 YOU WON’T HAVE MUCH FREE TIME FOR YOURSELF. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR SELF DEVELOPMENT

Because you are working at the cafe practically every day, you don’t have much free time for yourself or your loved ones. That means no afternoon tea dates with your friends, no vacations, no free time for anything. When you have a rare day off, chances are you will be repaying your sleep debts. Or preparing for the next day of operations.

#7 IT IS DIFFICULT – OR ALMOST MISSION IMPOSSIBLE – TO HIRE GOOD STAFF

Being a chef or a server is not exactly glamourous. Neither does it pay well. Very few people want to work in the food & beverage industry and one of the main challenges of opening a cafe is always finding good staff.

Naturally, people come and go, and it is difficult to find – much less, retain – good staff. Most part-timers are not committed, so you can suddenly find yourself in a situation whereby they disappear at the eleventh hour and not turn up at all.

When you can’t find enough staff, you have to end up doing even more things on your own. And your customers won’t care if you are short-handed. They are only concerned if they can get their food promptly.

#8 MOTIVATING YOUR STAFF – EASIER SAID THAN DONE

Equally challenging is the task of motivating your staff. So you think you are the boss and the staff have to listen to everything you say, right? Not exactly. When your staff are unhappy or feeling demoralised, it is your job to motivate them and make them continue to fight along with you. Maintaining staff morale is easier said than done.

Read: 5 Things you never knew about working at a cafe.

#9 DEALING WITH DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS IS PART AND PARCEL OF LIFE IN A CAFE

As with other businesses, dealing with difficult customers is inevitable. The customers may not always be right, but they sure as hell will make things difficult for you.

#10 YOU WILL BE CONSTANTLY WORRYING ABOUT MANY THINGS

Every moment, the owner of the cafe is worrying about something. Be it operations, staff rostering, dealing with suppliers, updating the various social media platforms, testing new recipes in the kitchen, maintaing staff morale, interviewing new staff, paying the bills – there are things that you have to constantly think about and your mind never really gets to rest.

If you are planning to open a cafe, read our guide on How much it costs to open a cafe in Singapore..