Singapore's coffee culture used to centre on the kopi tiam, or neighbourhood coffee shop. But this local institution has come under increasing pressure, especially from the rise of foreign coffee chains during the past decade.
The city now has more than 200 western-style cafes that attract younger customers as much for being trendy hangouts as for their brews. Recent contests to find Singapore's top barista, or professional coffee maker, attest to this invasion. It's enough to have the neighbourhood coffee-shop operator sputtering in his brew.
Nevertheless, enterprising kopi-tiam operators continue to thrive, some even building their businesses into chain operations. These include Killiney Kopi Tiam, Ah Mei Toast and Wang Jiao House of Kaya Toast.
Adrin Loi, 53, presides over Ya Kun, a home-grown chain of 25 outlets. The youngest son of a Hainanese migrant who ran a coffee stall in the historic Lau Pa Sat food complex, he reinvented the family business after his father died in 1998. Fusing tradition with modern management, Loi hopes to build Ya Kun into a brand along the lines of western chains such as Starbucks. The motto on its website reads: 'The toast that binds kinship, friendship and partnership'.
'All the family members, my older brothers and sisters, helped out in our flagship shop,' says Loi. 'But most have retired. My sister- in-law looked after the making of the kaya [a coconut custard] until recently, when we started a factory. Everything was put in place for someone to take over the business properly. My father passed this business to me. It was easy, as he had built up a reputable name.'
The chain still serves affordable fare, with a set order of two eggs, two slices of toast and coffee for S$3 (HK$15), but its menu features more inventive combinations such as French toast with cheese, toast with ice-cream and flavoured ice smoothies