Wine & Dine – August 2019

055

http://www.wnd.sg

From its humble beginnings as a modest coffee stall
in the 1940s at Telok Ayer Basin, Ya Kun has long
established itself as a favourite household name in
Singapore, building a reputation on its unparalleled
offerings of charcoal-grilled kaya toast and fragrant
coffee and tea. This year marks Ya Kun’s 75th
anniversary as Jesher Loi—grandson of Ya Kun’s late
founder, Loi Ah Koon—shares his family’s journey
from the time his grandfather first started the brand.
Fittingly, the name ‘Ya Kun’ is also the hanyu pinyin
equivalent of ‘Ah Koon’, reinforcing the close-knit
family’s commitment and passion behind their
homegrown brand.

How did a company establish itself as a well-
known name in Singapore and the region, with just
toast, kaya and breakfast food?
Most Singaporeans grew up eating kaya toast and
coffee, so essentially what we do is not something
new. However, the difference lies in our ingredients
and the care we take in preparing our menu items.
We differentiated our toast by building our brand
on brown bread while other coffee shops used white
bread. In 1936, my grandmother came from Hainan
Island to join my grandfather, and she perfected her
secret recipe for our homemade kaya. My grandfather
also started the tradition of roasting his own
coffee beans, which set our coffee apart from other
neighbouring coffee shops. Lastly, our family wanted
to make the brand more accessible to everyone, so
we went into shopping malls despite the higher
rents and the need for better aesthetics. The kaya
toast culture in Singapore has changed dramatically,
as what originally started off as breakfast, has now
morphed into comfort food that is welcome at any
time of the day.

For those not too familiar with the Hainanese
coffee shop culture, tell us about the vibrancy of
the coffee shop scene back then and how Yakun
tries to preserve that spirit in the present context?
My grandfather was a very kind man and built a
rapport in the community. Even irate customers
never bothered him and he always served with a
serene smile. We have tried to preserve his spirit by
extending the same friendly and relaxing service to
our customers, and this is the reason our regulars
keep coming back. If we see a regular coming, their
order is ready before they even make the order. Back
then, there was a lot of spirited shouting in the
hawker centres, with orders flying back and forth
between customers and stall owners. While the
shouting doesn’t exist anymore in shopping malls, we
still have the same family atmosphere, with personal
touches and real communication, rather than making
everything automated and self-service.

What are three most important values the brand

adheres to and will not compromise on?

1. Heritage—we have been preserving our unique
   and rich heritage since it was established in 1944.
   Heritage is an integral part of Singapore’s core
   culture, and that is why our tag line is built on the
   belief that (we offer) The Toast that Binds... Kinship,
   Friendship, Partnership.
   2. Accessibility—our mission is to serve as much
   of Singapore (and the region) as possible, so with 71
   outlets locally and 60 around the region, we want to
   be as accessible as we can. Once again, we embody
   this value in our tagline, as we cover all levels of
   society through family, friends and business.
   3. Affordability—we aren’t profit-driven and our
   coffee has stayed at $1.80 for the past four to five
   years now. Instead, we’re about society building and
   serving a quality cup of coffee to as many people as
   possible by keeping our prices low and affordable.
   The average local customer is very price sensitive
   and we respect that.

Share with us some of your growing pains and

joys of expanding abroad.

There’s nothing better than having Singaporeans

overseas telling us that having kaya toast abroad

brought a tear to their eyes and reminded them

of home. It’s such a joy to watch the brand grow

overseas and to bring communities together there

also. However, of course there are challenges and

teething problems, which we have learnt to navigate

successfully over time with each new outlet.

How do you handle rising competition in your

field and tailor your plans in each of the foreign

markets that you have expanded to?

We don’t really see the other players as competition.

The coffee markets in Singapore and around the

region are big enough for all players to get a slice of

the pie. We aren’t for everyone, and we aren’t even

competing with Western coffee shops for instance.

Instead, we’re focused on serving quality food and

coffee that attract a certain group of customers and

keeps them coming back.

What are some of the ingredients local

companies need to have to forge a strong

Singapore brand, and even take it abroad in

future?

Timing is critical for successfully launching new

outlets overseas. You need to understand the

local market, but more importantly, you need to

intimately understand your brand and what you are

bringing to a foreign market. Being flexible is also

important, as is having the patience to realise that

integration takes time.