Home cafes in Singapore: Young brewers serving matcha and kopi
Mr Alvin Lee runs home cafe Soop Soop Coffee, selling coffee and drinks for takeaway to customers who pre-order their drinks. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Ms Grace Teo runs home cafe Brew With Grace where she serves specialty coffee and matcha drinks. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Ms Grace Teo runs home cafe Brew With Grace where she serves specialty coffee and matcha drinks. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Ms Grace Teo runs home cafe Brew With Grace where she serves specialty coffee and matcha drinks. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Left to right: Ms Chelsea Ang, Ms Zann Siow and Mr Thomas Lim who run Whisk & Waddles. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Left to right: Ms Chelsea Ang, Ms Zann Siow and Mr Thomas Lim who run Whisk & Waddles. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Home cafe Knead Kopi offers light bites and drinks such as Kopi Guyu, Kaya Set, Ahma Ang's Fried Beehoon, and Curry Chicken with Baguette. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Ms Rachel Neo and Mr Glenndon Khoo run Knead Kopi at the front porch of a terrace house in Bukit Timah. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Mr Joshua Simon runs home cafe Baobei Coffee out of his HDB flat in Tampines. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
hkhome31 - Iced White Coffee at home cafe Brew With Grace. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO THE STRAITS TIMES SPH MEDIA EDITORIAL USE ONLY The Straits Times
hkhome31 - Iced White Coffee at home cafe Brew With Grace. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO THE STRAITS TIMES SPH MEDIA EDITORIAL USE ONLY The Straits Times
SINGAPORE – The hottest trend in Singapore's cafe scene is not housed behind floor-to-ceiling glass windows or nestled within heritage shophouses. It is brewing on front porches and in HDB flats in residential estates islandwide.
Since late 2024, a batch brew of cosy home cafes has been started by young Singaporeans eager to share their passion for coffee and matcha, without the financial burden of operating a full-fledged commercial outfit.
Some view these micro set-ups as stepping stones to hosting future pop-ups. Others treat these ventures as a way to opt out of the rat race, attempt a slower life, stay close to family and build community over homemade drinks and food.
Home cafe owners observe that customers come not just for the drinks or food, but for the experience. The appeal lies less in the menu and more in the chance to step into someone else's world – to see how others live, and to connect in a more personal setting.
Most of these home cafe owners say they have no plans to move into bricks-and-mortar spaces , citing high rents and operating costs.
With no goods and services tax , service charge or rent, home cafes can offer drinks 20 to 40 per cent cheaper than commercial outlets, even when using quality ingredients such as real fruit and Uji matcha. But with limited volumes, most home brewers buy supplies at retail prices and operate on razor-thin margins.
Mr Alvin Lee, 33, who runs home cafe Soop Soop Coffee out of his mother's four-room HDB flat in Yishun, says: 'It's not sustainable if you're in it for profit.'
Coffee beans alone make up 40 per cent of his operating costs.
Brew With Grace operates from a five-room Build-To-Order flat in Sengkang. Ms Grace Teo, 36, pays over $80 for a 100g packet of ceremonial-grade matcha by Marukyu Koyamaen in Kyoto, which is often out of stock. She says she makes mere cents from each drink.
Still, these home cafe owners persevere – not for profit, but for purpose.
Ms Teo says: 'I feel richer for the experience. It gives me something to focus on – and I'm in a better place now.'
Here are some to hit this weekend.
Pours on the porch
In Yio Chu Kang, Whisk & Waddles opened on March 16 on a terraced house's porch. Operating exclusively on Sundays, it began as a project by three third-year law undergraduates from the National University of Singapore: Ms Zann Siow, 22; Ms Chelsea Ang, 22; and Mr Thomas Lim, 24. The trio launched it as part of a school business module.
(From left) Ms Chelsea Ang, Ms Zann Siow and Mr Thomas Lim, who run Whisk & Waddles.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
The idea for a home cafe specialising in matcha came from Ms Siow, who has been crafting matcha drinks since 2020 as a hobby and tinkering with making syrups from fresh fruit and tea.
Both Ms Ang and Mr Lim live in HDB flats, so the group turned to Ms Siow's parents, who agreed to let them use the front porch of their terrace house in Yio Chu Kang. But first, clear ground rules were set. Customers are limited to the porch, which accommodates up to 15 people. Orders are placed via a Google form and the home address is revealed only upon payment of pre-orders.
Drinks are prepared in the kitchen and served outside, where guests can play card games that are lying around, such as Exploding Kittens and The Singaporean Dream.
The trio pooled together $480 to buy second-hand garden furniture, utensils and ingredients. The matcha is from Kyoto and coffee beans are sourced from a local roaster. Prices start at $4 for the Winter Dew (matcha without milk), while Rosy Tuxedo (Strawberry Matcha Latte) and Frosty Earl (Earl Grey Matcha Latte) go for $6.40 each.
(From left) Rosy Tuxedo, a strawbery matcha latte; Frosted Earl, an Earl Grey matcha latte; and Glacial Green, a matcha latte, at Whisk & Waddles.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Where: Yio Chu Kang
Open: 11am to 5pm (Sundays)
Info: @whisknwaddles on Instagram
Kopi, kaya and grandma
Knead Kopi opened in March with very personal goals.
Its founders – Ms Rachel Neo, 25, and her boyfriend Glenndon Khoo, 25 – wanted to spend more time at home with Ms Neo's 84-year-old grandmother, who has dementia.
Ms Rachel Neo and Mr Glenndon Khoo run Knead Kopi at the front porch of a terrace house in Bukit Timah.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Ms Neo, who has a business degree from the University of Newcastle, which she studied for at PSB Academy, had run a home bakery since 2020. After a short stint as a management trainee at a pastry chain, she found corporate life 'not her cup of tea' and returned to baking full-time.
Wanting to stay close to her grandmother, she and Mr Khoo set up a cafe on the family's terrace porch in Watten Rise in Bukit Timah. Mr Khoo, who is studying part-time for a degree in sports and exercise science at PSB Academy, suggested brewing traditional Nanyang kopi to stand out from other home cafes serving speciality coffee.
They learnt to brew both traditional and speciality coffee from Ms Neo's barista uncle.
Mr Glenndon Khoo makes Nanyang kopi at home cafe Knead Kopi.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Then they spent $3,000 in savings, earned from part-time jobs, to build a sheltered awning, and another $1,000 on folding chairs, camping tables, a food display case and traditional kopi-making equipment, including coffee socks, pots and electric warmers.
They source their coffee powder from a local roaster. A hot Kopi O starts at $1.60. Bestsellers include Yuan Yang and Kopi Guyu ($2 for hot, $2.50 for cold).
Kopi Guyu at Knead Kopi.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
For children and non-coffee drinkers, there is the Milo Special ($4) – a Milo Dinosaur with chocolate drizzle.
Milo Special at Knead Kopi.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
As demand grew for small bites to accompany the drinks, the couple introduced a Kaya Set ($8.50), which includes four pieces of baguette, a small tub of homemade kaya, two soft-boiled eggs and a hot drink. They make the kaya from scratch using home-grown pandan leaves and each batch takes three hours to prepare.
Kaya Set at Knead Kopi.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Other menu items include Curry Chicken with Baguette ($8.50) and Ahma Ang's Fried Beehoon ($4.50), made from her grandmother's recipes. Bakes such as Mochi Brownie and Banana Walnut Loaf ($5 each) are on rotation.
Home cafe Knead Kopi offers light bites and drinks such as Kopi Guyu, Kaya Set, Ahma Ang's Fried Beehoon and Curry Chicken with Baguette.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Ms Neo, a self-described homebody, finds comfort in working entirely from home. 'I get to spend time with my grandmother, who joins me in the kitchen when I am baking. During lulls, we paste the logo stickers on paper cups together,' she says.
Their customer base is varied, from parents of school-going kids grabbing a quick takeaway before work to those working from home on a coffee run to dog walkers. Water bowls are provided for pets.
The cafe attracts residents in the neighbourhood, including those walking their dogs.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
One customer is Ms Elena Lin, 34, a project manager who lives nearby.
She visits Knead Kopi weekly, with her baby daughter and golden retriever in tow. 'It feels like visiting neighbours,' she says. She was drawn in on opening day after noticing a small crowd.
She enjoys the friendly kampung-like vibe. 'At a regular cafe, people keep to themselves. Here, I chat with Rachel and other customers. Her grandmother sometimes plays with my baby.'
The lack of GST or service charge is another plus. 'I bring friends here. It is trendy to go to home cafes. Even without air-conditioning, it is comfortable and feels more personal. It's not a cookie-cutter experience.'
Where: 7 Watten Rise
Open: 7.30am to 5pm (Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays), 7am to 5pm (Saturdays)
Info: @kneadkopi on Instagram
Safe relaxing space
Ms Grace Teo, 36, runs Brew With Grace out of her five-room BTO flat in Sengkang, which she co-owns with her software engineer husband. The former barista of Monday Coffee Bar opened her own home cafe in December 2024 after health and mental wellness struggles. She wanted to create a restorative space that was part-cafe, part-refuge.
Her home is styled like a small cottage. Studio Ghibli soundtracks play softly to a stream of countryside scenes beamed from a projector. A British shorthair cat named Totoro takes languid naps on the couch.
Ms Grace Teo runs home cafe Brew With Grace, where guests can chill out with her cat, Totoro.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
'It's not about the drinks – it's about the space I can share,' says Ms Teo. She has a degree in 3D animation and fine arts from the Singapore Institute of Technology and previously worked as a 3D lighting artist.
The cafe's rose logo symbolises love. 'It is a reminder to myself to make each cup of coffee with love,' she says.
She keeps her menu small – just five drinks – and operates Wednesdays to Fridays to avoid overextending herself. Her home set-up includes a $3,000 Lelit Bianca espresso machine, which she bought when she moved in.
Drinks start at $3 for black coffee. Her bestsellers are Strawberry Matcha Oat and Yuzu Matcha Oat ($5.50 each), made with ceremonial-grade matcha and oat milk.
(From left) Strawberry Matcha Oat and Yuzu Matcha Oat at home cafe Brew With Grace.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Though the cafe serves only a handful of guests each day and barely covers her costs, she enjoys serving regulars from as far as Jurong and Choa Chu Kang.
'People talk to me about their job and life struggles, and I share my stories too,' she says. 'They want somewhere to feel safe.'
Where: 171B Sengkang East Drive; the full address will be provided upon ordering
Open: 10am to 4pm (Wednesdays to Fridays)
Info: @brew_withgrace; pre-order at take.app/brewwithgrace
Neighbourhood coffee hub
Baobei Coffee is a labour of love by Mr Joshua Simon, 31, a manager at an IT services company based in the United States. He and his wife moved into their five-room BTO flat in Tampines in 2022 and he soft-launched the cafe at the end of 2024.
Mr Joshua Simon runs home cafe Baobei Coffee out of his HDB flat in Tampines.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
The monicker 'Baobei' has a double meaning – in Chinese, it is widely used as a term of endearment and also sounds like the words for 'a full cup'. For Mr Simon, it captures the warmth and connection he hopes to share with strangers through coffee. 'What began as a passion project experimenting with beans and methods grew into something I wanted to offer others,' he says.
He credits his pet corgi, Scottie, with helping him build a sense of community. 'She brings smiles and emotional connections – that's what we're about.'
Mr Joshua Simon runs home cafe Baobei Coffee out of his HDB flat in Tampines.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Mr Simon, who works from home, says customers come not just for the drinks, but also for the atmosphere. 'Some people tell me they do not even like coffee – they just want to support a home-based business. People crave the slow life. Home cafes allow them to escape the fast-paced reality of life in Singapore.'
Baobei Coffee now opens five days a week. Most customers pre-order takeaway drinks via a Telegram bot that Mr Simon coded. Groups of up to four at a time can book in-person visits. Popular items include Cloud Hug (latte, $4) and Bed of Roses (iced rose latte, $5), made using locally roasted beans.
(From left) Bed of Roses (iced rose latte) and Cocoa Hugs (iced mocha) at home cafe Baobei Coffee.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
He says: 'We are surrounded by amazing cafes with big names and polished reputations. It was hard not to compare myself with them. But over time, I have learnt to trust the process and the joy it brings others.'
Eventually, he hopes to do events and pop-ups. But for now, Baobei Coffee remains a personal extension of his home and hobby.
Where: 645B Tampines Street 62; the full address will be disclosed upon ordering
Open: 9am to 4pm (Mondays and Tuesdays), 10am to 5pm (Fridays), 9am to 5pm (Saturdays) and 9am to noon (Sundays). Closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays
Info: @baobeicoffee on Instagram
Regional flavour blends
With an ending came a new caffeine-fuelled beginning. Freelance designer Alvin Lee, 33, launched his home-based takeaway coffee business, Soop Soop Coffee, in December 2024 after leaving a job in UI/UX design.
Inspired by cafes he had visited in Taiwan and Japan, he created drinks like Osmanthus Latte ($5.50) and Indigo Coconut Matcha Cloud ($6.50) using floral and tropical flavour pairings.
Indigo Coconut Matcha Cloud at Soop Soop Coffee.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
His compact 10-item menu includes $4 black coffee and $7.50 matcha with oat milk.
He runs the business from his mother's four-room HDB flat in Yishun and gives customers his address after payment is made for pre-orders. He initially placed two chairs and a table in the corridor, but was told by authorities this was not allowed. Since May, he has served only takeaway drinks.
'I did not expect people from Sengkang and Pasir Ris to travel here,' he says. 'Some customers enjoy going to different neighbourhoods and seeing how other people live. Home cafes offer a glimpse into somebody else's life.'
Though he took a three-day barista course, he has no interest in becoming a full-time barista, preferring to keep it a side hustle. He is in the process of setting up a design firm with a friend.
He wanted to share his coffee with people, but 'it is too expensive to treat people to free coffee daily'.
'Running my home cafe lets me cover costs while sharing great coffee.'
Mr Alvin Lee and his Osmanthus Latte.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Where: 408 Yishun Avenue 6; the full address will be disclosed upon ordering
Open: 9am to 4pm (Tuesdays to Saturdays), noon to 4pm (Sundays). Closed on Mondays.
Info: @soopsoopcoffee.sg on Instagram; pre-order at take.app/soopsoopcoffee
Hedy Khoo is senior correspondent at The Straits Times. She covers food-related news, from reviews to human interest stories.
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Home cafes in Singapore: Young brewers serving matcha and kopi
Mr Alvin Lee runs home cafe Soop Soop Coffee, selling coffee and drinks for takeaway to customers who pre-order their drinks. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Ms Grace Teo runs home cafe Brew With Grace where she serves specialty coffee and matcha drinks. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Ms Grace Teo runs home cafe Brew With Grace where she serves specialty coffee and matcha drinks. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Ms Grace Teo runs home cafe Brew With Grace where she serves specialty coffee and matcha drinks. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Left to right: Ms Chelsea Ang, Ms Zann Siow and Mr Thomas Lim who run Whisk & Waddles. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Left to right: Ms Chelsea Ang, Ms Zann Siow and Mr Thomas Lim who run Whisk & Waddles. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Home cafe Knead Kopi offers light bites and drinks such as Kopi Guyu, Kaya Set, Ahma Ang's Fried Beehoon, and Curry Chicken with Baguette. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Ms Rachel Neo and Mr Glenndon Khoo run Knead Kopi at the front porch of a terrace house in Bukit Timah. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Mr Joshua Simon runs home cafe Baobei Coffee out of his HDB flat in Tampines. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO hkhome31 - Iced White Coffee at home cafe Brew With Grace. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO THE STRAITS TIMES SPH MEDIA EDITORIAL USE ONLY The Straits Times hkhome31 - Iced White Coffee at home cafe Brew With Grace. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO THE STRAITS TIMES SPH MEDIA EDITORIAL USE ONLY The Straits Times SINGAPORE – The hottest trend in Singapore's cafe scene is not housed behind floor-to-ceiling glass windows or nestled within heritage shophouses. It is brewing on front porches and in HDB flats in residential estates islandwide. Since late 2024, a batch brew of cosy home cafes has been started by young Singaporeans eager to share their passion for coffee and matcha, without the financial burden of operating a full-fledged commercial outfit. Some view these micro set-ups as stepping stones to hosting future pop-ups. Others treat these ventures as a way to opt out of the rat race, attempt a slower life, stay close to family and build community over homemade drinks and food. Home cafe owners observe that customers come not just for the drinks or food, but for the experience. The appeal lies less in the menu and more in the chance to step into someone else's world – to see how others live, and to connect in a more personal setting. Most of these home cafe owners say they have no plans to move into bricks-and-mortar spaces , citing high rents and operating costs. With no goods and services tax , service charge or rent, home cafes can offer drinks 20 to 40 per cent cheaper than commercial outlets, even when using quality ingredients such as real fruit and Uji matcha. But with limited volumes, most home brewers buy supplies at retail prices and operate on razor-thin margins. Mr Alvin Lee, 33, who runs home cafe Soop Soop Coffee out of his mother's four-room HDB flat in Yishun, says: 'It's not sustainable if you're in it for profit.' Coffee beans alone make up 40 per cent of his operating costs. Brew With Grace operates from a five-room Build-To-Order flat in Sengkang. Ms Grace Teo, 36, pays over $80 for a 100g packet of ceremonial-grade matcha by Marukyu Koyamaen in Kyoto, which is often out of stock. She says she makes mere cents from each drink. Still, these home cafe owners persevere – not for profit, but for purpose. Ms Teo says: 'I feel richer for the experience. It gives me something to focus on – and I'm in a better place now.' Here are some to hit this weekend. Pours on the porch In Yio Chu Kang, Whisk & Waddles opened on March 16 on a terraced house's porch. Operating exclusively on Sundays, it began as a project by three third-year law undergraduates from the National University of Singapore: Ms Zann Siow, 22; Ms Chelsea Ang, 22; and Mr Thomas Lim, 24. The trio launched it as part of a school business module. (From left) Ms Chelsea Ang, Ms Zann Siow and Mr Thomas Lim, who run Whisk & Waddles. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO The idea for a home cafe specialising in matcha came from Ms Siow, who has been crafting matcha drinks since 2020 as a hobby and tinkering with making syrups from fresh fruit and tea. Both Ms Ang and Mr Lim live in HDB flats, so the group turned to Ms Siow's parents, who agreed to let them use the front porch of their terrace house in Yio Chu Kang. But first, clear ground rules were set. Customers are limited to the porch, which accommodates up to 15 people. Orders are placed via a Google form and the home address is revealed only upon payment of pre-orders. Drinks are prepared in the kitchen and served outside, where guests can play card games that are lying around, such as Exploding Kittens and The Singaporean Dream. The trio pooled together $480 to buy second-hand garden furniture, utensils and ingredients. The matcha is from Kyoto and coffee beans are sourced from a local roaster. Prices start at $4 for the Winter Dew (matcha without milk), while Rosy Tuxedo (Strawberry Matcha Latte) and Frosty Earl (Earl Grey Matcha Latte) go for $6.40 each. (From left) Rosy Tuxedo, a strawbery matcha latte; Frosted Earl, an Earl Grey matcha latte; and Glacial Green, a matcha latte, at Whisk & Waddles. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Where: Yio Chu Kang Open: 11am to 5pm (Sundays) Info: @whisknwaddles on Instagram Kopi, kaya and grandma Knead Kopi opened in March with very personal goals. Its founders – Ms Rachel Neo, 25, and her boyfriend Glenndon Khoo, 25 – wanted to spend more time at home with Ms Neo's 84-year-old grandmother, who has dementia. Ms Rachel Neo and Mr Glenndon Khoo run Knead Kopi at the front porch of a terrace house in Bukit Timah. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Ms Neo, who has a business degree from the University of Newcastle, which she studied for at PSB Academy, had run a home bakery since 2020. After a short stint as a management trainee at a pastry chain, she found corporate life 'not her cup of tea' and returned to baking full-time. Wanting to stay close to her grandmother, she and Mr Khoo set up a cafe on the family's terrace porch in Watten Rise in Bukit Timah. Mr Khoo, who is studying part-time for a degree in sports and exercise science at PSB Academy, suggested brewing traditional Nanyang kopi to stand out from other home cafes serving speciality coffee. They learnt to brew both traditional and speciality coffee from Ms Neo's barista uncle. Mr Glenndon Khoo makes Nanyang kopi at home cafe Knead Kopi. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Then they spent $3,000 in savings, earned from part-time jobs, to build a sheltered awning, and another $1,000 on folding chairs, camping tables, a food display case and traditional kopi-making equipment, including coffee socks, pots and electric warmers. They source their coffee powder from a local roaster. A hot Kopi O starts at $1.60. Bestsellers include Yuan Yang and Kopi Guyu ($2 for hot, $2.50 for cold). Kopi Guyu at Knead Kopi. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO For children and non-coffee drinkers, there is the Milo Special ($4) – a Milo Dinosaur with chocolate drizzle. Milo Special at Knead Kopi. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO As demand grew for small bites to accompany the drinks, the couple introduced a Kaya Set ($8.50), which includes four pieces of baguette, a small tub of homemade kaya, two soft-boiled eggs and a hot drink. They make the kaya from scratch using home-grown pandan leaves and each batch takes three hours to prepare. Kaya Set at Knead Kopi. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Other menu items include Curry Chicken with Baguette ($8.50) and Ahma Ang's Fried Beehoon ($4.50), made from her grandmother's recipes. Bakes such as Mochi Brownie and Banana Walnut Loaf ($5 each) are on rotation. Home cafe Knead Kopi offers light bites and drinks such as Kopi Guyu, Kaya Set, Ahma Ang's Fried Beehoon and Curry Chicken with Baguette. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Ms Neo, a self-described homebody, finds comfort in working entirely from home. 'I get to spend time with my grandmother, who joins me in the kitchen when I am baking. During lulls, we paste the logo stickers on paper cups together,' she says. Their customer base is varied, from parents of school-going kids grabbing a quick takeaway before work to those working from home on a coffee run to dog walkers. Water bowls are provided for pets. The cafe attracts residents in the neighbourhood, including those walking their dogs. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO One customer is Ms Elena Lin, 34, a project manager who lives nearby. She visits Knead Kopi weekly, with her baby daughter and golden retriever in tow. 'It feels like visiting neighbours,' she says. She was drawn in on opening day after noticing a small crowd. She enjoys the friendly kampung-like vibe. 'At a regular cafe, people keep to themselves. Here, I chat with Rachel and other customers. Her grandmother sometimes plays with my baby.' The lack of GST or service charge is another plus. 'I bring friends here. It is trendy to go to home cafes. Even without air-conditioning, it is comfortable and feels more personal. It's not a cookie-cutter experience.' Where: 7 Watten Rise Open: 7.30am to 5pm (Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays), 7am to 5pm (Saturdays) Info: @kneadkopi on Instagram Safe relaxing space Ms Grace Teo, 36, runs Brew With Grace out of her five-room BTO flat in Sengkang, which she co-owns with her software engineer husband. The former barista of Monday Coffee Bar opened her own home cafe in December 2024 after health and mental wellness struggles. She wanted to create a restorative space that was part-cafe, part-refuge. Her home is styled like a small cottage. Studio Ghibli soundtracks play softly to a stream of countryside scenes beamed from a projector. A British shorthair cat named Totoro takes languid naps on the couch. Ms Grace Teo runs home cafe Brew With Grace, where guests can chill out with her cat, Totoro. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO 'It's not about the drinks – it's about the space I can share,' says Ms Teo. She has a degree in 3D animation and fine arts from the Singapore Institute of Technology and previously worked as a 3D lighting artist. The cafe's rose logo symbolises love. 'It is a reminder to myself to make each cup of coffee with love,' she says. She keeps her menu small – just five drinks – and operates Wednesdays to Fridays to avoid overextending herself. Her home set-up includes a $3,000 Lelit Bianca espresso machine, which she bought when she moved in. Drinks start at $3 for black coffee. Her bestsellers are Strawberry Matcha Oat and Yuzu Matcha Oat ($5.50 each), made with ceremonial-grade matcha and oat milk. (From left) Strawberry Matcha Oat and Yuzu Matcha Oat at home cafe Brew With Grace. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Though the cafe serves only a handful of guests each day and barely covers her costs, she enjoys serving regulars from as far as Jurong and Choa Chu Kang. 'People talk to me about their job and life struggles, and I share my stories too,' she says. 'They want somewhere to feel safe.' Where: 171B Sengkang East Drive; the full address will be provided upon ordering Open: 10am to 4pm (Wednesdays to Fridays) Info: @brew_withgrace; pre-order at Neighbourhood coffee hub Baobei Coffee is a labour of love by Mr Joshua Simon, 31, a manager at an IT services company based in the United States. He and his wife moved into their five-room BTO flat in Tampines in 2022 and he soft-launched the cafe at the end of 2024. Mr Joshua Simon runs home cafe Baobei Coffee out of his HDB flat in Tampines. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO The monicker 'Baobei' has a double meaning – in Chinese, it is widely used as a term of endearment and also sounds like the words for 'a full cup'. For Mr Simon, it captures the warmth and connection he hopes to share with strangers through coffee. 'What began as a passion project experimenting with beans and methods grew into something I wanted to offer others,' he says. He credits his pet corgi, Scottie, with helping him build a sense of community. 'She brings smiles and emotional connections – that's what we're about.' Mr Joshua Simon runs home cafe Baobei Coffee out of his HDB flat in Tampines. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Mr Simon, who works from home, says customers come not just for the drinks, but also for the atmosphere. 'Some people tell me they do not even like coffee – they just want to support a home-based business. People crave the slow life. Home cafes allow them to escape the fast-paced reality of life in Singapore.' Baobei Coffee now opens five days a week. Most customers pre-order takeaway drinks via a Telegram bot that Mr Simon coded. Groups of up to four at a time can book in-person visits. Popular items include Cloud Hug (latte, $4) and Bed of Roses (iced rose latte, $5), made using locally roasted beans. (From left) Bed of Roses (iced rose latte) and Cocoa Hugs (iced mocha) at home cafe Baobei Coffee. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO He says: 'We are surrounded by amazing cafes with big names and polished reputations. It was hard not to compare myself with them. But over time, I have learnt to trust the process and the joy it brings others.' Eventually, he hopes to do events and pop-ups. But for now, Baobei Coffee remains a personal extension of his home and hobby. Where: 645B Tampines Street 62; the full address will be disclosed upon ordering Open: 9am to 4pm (Mondays and Tuesdays), 10am to 5pm (Fridays), 9am to 5pm (Saturdays) and 9am to noon (Sundays). Closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays Info: @baobeicoffee on Instagram Regional flavour blends With an ending came a new caffeine-fuelled beginning. Freelance designer Alvin Lee, 33, launched his home-based takeaway coffee business, Soop Soop Coffee, in December 2024 after leaving a job in UI/UX design. Inspired by cafes he had visited in Taiwan and Japan, he created drinks like Osmanthus Latte ($5.50) and Indigo Coconut Matcha Cloud ($6.50) using floral and tropical flavour pairings. Indigo Coconut Matcha Cloud at Soop Soop Coffee. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO His compact 10-item menu includes $4 black coffee and $7.50 matcha with oat milk. He runs the business from his mother's four-room HDB flat in Yishun and gives customers his address after payment is made for pre-orders. He initially placed two chairs and a table in the corridor, but was told by authorities this was not allowed. Since May, he has served only takeaway drinks. 'I did not expect people from Sengkang and Pasir Ris to travel here,' he says. 'Some customers enjoy going to different neighbourhoods and seeing how other people live. Home cafes offer a glimpse into somebody else's life.' Though he took a three-day barista course, he has no interest in becoming a full-time barista, preferring to keep it a side hustle. He is in the process of setting up a design firm with a friend. He wanted to share his coffee with people, but 'it is too expensive to treat people to free coffee daily'. 'Running my home cafe lets me cover costs while sharing great coffee.' Mr Alvin Lee and his Osmanthus Latte. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Where: 408 Yishun Avenue 6; the full address will be disclosed upon ordering Open: 9am to 4pm (Tuesdays to Saturdays), noon to 4pm (Sundays). Closed on Mondays. Info: @ on Instagram; pre-order at Hedy Khoo is senior correspondent at The Straits Times. She covers food-related news, from reviews to human interest stories. More on this Topic Rice to the occasion: Bold new twists on nasi lemak with familiar tastes Check out ST's Food Guide for the latest foodie recommendations in Singapore.
Business Times
2 days ago
- Business Times
Cross-border payments
THE global financial landscape is shifting, and banks are feeling the pressure to recalibrate. With evolving international policies and changing market dynamics brought on by tariff uncertainties, the need for greater agility and efficiency has never been greater. At this critical juncture, transforming cross-border payments has become crucial. Banks have traditionally relied on correspondent banking to facilitate international transactions, but this method often falls short, especially when measured against the expectations of today's customers (retail and businesses alike). Much like e-commerce platforms such as Shopee and Amazon, which enable businesses to expand seamlessly into new markets without setting up local stores, banks use correspondent relationships to facilitate cross-border payments without needing a physical presence in every country. But this once-efficient system now needs to evolve to meet the expectations of today's fast-paced, customer-centric economy. Why it's time to fix international payments plumbing The gap between customer expectations and realities of modern banking has widened. People have always expected payments to be fast, transparent, and cost-effective. And, with every new generation and wave of tech advancements, these expectations only grow – faster, more transparent, and cheaper than ever before. At the same time, demand for international payments is surging, especially for low-value cross-border transactions. This has contributed to S$3.9 trillion in global outflows in Asia, underscoring the need for a more efficient and affordable payment system. Yet, many of these transfers still take too long. On top of that, hidden fees and foreign exchange markups are often concealed from the consumer, leaving them unaware that they're paying more than they should. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up In fact, 56 per cent of Singaporeans who have made international payments think they know the full cost, but are unaware of the hidden fees. As a result, Singaporeans lost some S$590 million to these fees in 2023 alone. These inefficiencies are recognised at a global level, with initiatives like the G20 roadmap for enhancing cross-border payments aiming to address these issues by setting quantitative targets to improve the speed, cost and transparency in international payments. But banks and the traditional transfer system aren't deliberately creating this disconnect between what customers want and what they get – the international banking model is simply built on legacy methods. The model's reliance on 'middlemen' or intermediaries slows transactions and increases costs. For instance, if a bank in Singapore doesn't have a direct correspondent relationship with a Brazilian counterpart, it will need to route the payment through intermediaries, perhaps through Japan, the UK, then the US, before finally reaching Brazil. This journey adds extra fees and makes lower-value transfers too costly for consumers and small businesses. Settlement times also drag, as payments navigate complex networks and regulatory checkpoints, sometimes taking days to clear. As the number of handover points increase, so do the chances of a payment getting stuck or having limited visibility for compliance. One way to fix this is through connecting local payment systems across borders. By enabling direct settlement between these rails, it removes the need for middlemen. For example, linking Singapore's PayNow with Thailand's PromptPay allows real-time transfers between the two countries, making payments faster and cheaper. But scaling these connections globally is complex. It takes time, significant investment, and coordination between regulators. Making smarter cross-border payments Fixing cross-border inefficiencies requires a broader approach that complements correspondent banking relationships. Banks need technology-driven solutions that modernise transfers, making them as fast, intuitive, secure, and transparent as today's consumers expect. But this isn't an easy task – cross-border payments are one of the toughest financial services to get right. Scaling a payments network globally is complicated, expensive, and time-consuming – something no bank can easily tackle alone. And, realistically, given that cross-border payments typically make up only a fraction of a bank's overall services, building a global payments infrastructure from scratch would mean massive investments that many banks neither want nor need. After all, most banks are, first and foremost, built for their local markets. Their focus is on core services like loans, credit, and domestic payments. These systems, designed primarily for domestic transactions, still serve their purpose well, remaining efficient and cost-effective. When it comes to international payments, however, efficiency and cost control are often blind spots. Many banks assume the delays and high costs are simply part of the system— or that solving these challenges means taking it on alone. But the landscape is changing. Technology advancements now enable new approaches that improve cross-border payments without requiring banks to overhaul their entire infrastructure. For example, some systems tap into local payment rails across markets worldwide, linking these networks to create more efficient paths for global transactions. This makes the process faster and more cost-effective. Some of these solutions can also complement a bank's existing correspondent relationships, including the Swift network, helping to reduce friction while enhancing capabilities. The tricky part is choosing the right solution. Banks must assess providers based on how transparent they are with fees and services, the reach and quality of their currency network, and whether they give banks visibility over the payment process. Reliability and efficiency throughout the whole process are key. Importantly, with Singapore being such a thriving fintech hub, local banks must also team up with tech firms to develop solutions that not only streamline operations but also stay in line with evolving regulations. The road ahead: Simplicity, transparency, and efficiency The transformation of correspondent banking is well underway, driven by the need for simplicity, transparency, and efficiency. The challenges faced by banks attempting to modernise cross-border payments highlight the necessity of ecosystem partnerships. Singapore's financial institutions are well-positioned to lead this shift. By prioritising infrastructure modernisation and partnerships to leverage emerging payments innovation, they can set new benchmarks for cross-border transactions. The path forward is clear: banks that embrace innovation and collaboration will not only compete, but lead in the evolving landscape of global finance. The writer is general manager, Wise Platform, Asia Pacific
