There’s no doubt that Singapore is a hotbed for innovation, fueled by visionaries and forward-thinking entrepreneurs who are always one step ahead of the game. This month, we spoke to a handful of individuals who identified market gaps ripe for enhancement – from how we enjoy coffee to the current state of F&B retail – and took it upon themselves to transform something good into something even better. The result: Brands that inspire and excite, proudly bearing the “Made in Singapore” distinction.
Let’s go back to the beginning when MORNING was simply an idea. What sparked that idea and what were your original goals for the product? Did you ever think you’d be where you are now?
The idea came about because of a specific problem I had as a home brewer, where I had good coffee pods, but not a machine that was good enough to bring out their flavors. I realized that this was synonymous with every specialty pod out there in the world. It was also hard to get access to really good coffee capsules, which then sparked the idea for an ecosystem – a marketplace that brings together specialty pods from around the world, and a machine and app that’s able to brew better quality coffee.
One of my original goals was to create a product that could change how people enjoy convenient coffee at home, globally, with both the machine and ecosystem. I also wanted to tell the stories of these specialty coffee roasters to the home brewers; the current information is still quite fragmented, but a unified platform would help home brewers learn and gain access to coffee content.
As for the last part of this question, I don’t think I’m there yet, but am grateful where I am now. I feel like I’ve done the initial heavy lifting – created the machine and ecosystem – and am now in the second phase where I’ll need to scale and develop on what we already have. We’re currently in 40 countries, but it’s only been the first two years of sales in a lot of these markets, so there’s a lot more to build on.
There seems to be a collaborative spirit that surrounds MORNING’s ethos, from working with roasters to local brands like TANCHEN Studio. Can you tell us how these partnerships come about and what collaboration means to you?
For the recent TANCHEN Studio collaboration, I’ve always admired their aesthetics, attention to detail, and use of colors, and could see some of these color combinations working on our products. We were also in a similar space when it came to homeware, kitchenware, and food, which is something the co-founders Sanchia and Amber, also enjoy and design from, and I felt we were on the same page as two design-led brands.
The initial idea was to reimagine TANCHEN colors on our MORNING machines, and to then create a collection around that, which now includes a full range of tableware and home objects, such as woven coasters, an affogato set, barista cloths, and even a stool in an exclusive butter colorway.
For our collaborations, they have to come from a place of authenticity and be something that both brands really believe in and would like to work on. Good design is important too, as is making products that people love and able to use in their daily lives.
Can you talk about your plans for taking MORNING overseas? What steps are you taking to ensure it works out? Also, what are the joys and challenges you’ve experienced on this journey of expansion and growth?
We’re currently focused on expanding our presence in the UK and will be having a lot more pop-ups and trade shows. Earlier this year, we had a fair amount of success with our booth at the London Coffee Festival, have been pairing up with roasters to do shop-in-shop experiences, and the launch of our TANCHEN Studio collaboration in London. We’re also gearing up for the launch of our MORNING Dream machine, our own milk steaming device, and partnering up with exciting milk and alternative milk partners for this new product to achieve cafe-quality milk at home.
One of the biggest challenges is that overseas markets are a lot bigger than Singapore’s in terms of population and geography, so more time is needed and there’ll need to be more initiatives in order for us to gain traction. For example, a marketing activity in London requires more effort, money, and scale for the equivalent amount of reach. Then again, it’s always a joy meeting customers overseas, knowing that the thing we created has impacted people’s lives in terms of how they make coffee at home, and how they’re going into many kitchens around the world. The feedback we’ve been getting has been encouraging too; people have come to us saying our product is “brilliant” or “game-changing”, and I’m glad that people love the brand and that we have the chance to create beautiful products that make a difference.
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You’ve also recently taken Morning offline and opened a physical store at New Bahru. What brought about this decision and how do you intend to engage the Singaporean consumer further?
We started off as a digitally-native brand that has primarily existed offline, but I’ve always felt that we needed a retail space for people to discover the machines and coffee for themselves. I’ve been using the analogy of how a “test drive” is important to someone buying a car; similar to that, and rather than taking a leap of faith and buying the machine before testing it out, customers will now have that opportunity to see, touch, and try it in person, which is an essential part of their decision-making process. The store was a no-brainer and makes the machines way more accessible.
The store also has a coffee tasting bar where people can come and enjoy a cup of coffee, brewed with the pods of the roasters we carry. They can come and discover their preferred specialty coffee, speak with our barista-trained retail staff, and better understand our product. I also believe that with our machine, they’ll be able to taste the difference in terms of each coffee’s distinct flavor notes.
There are a few exciting things planned, specifically for the store, in the next few months, such as guest roasters who might do a bar takeover. We’re also looking to invite certain coffee celebrities, whether they’re YouTubers or content creators renowned in the coffee world, to engage with customers in Singapore. We’ve also got interesting coffee drops lined up, plans for merchandising, and even two new machines that will be launched later this year – the MORNING Dream, a sophisticated milk steaming device, and the MORNING Mini, a more compact and accessible version of our flagship machine.
As an entrepreneur who has enjoyed relative success in your chosen path, what advice do you have for other young entrepreneurial hopefuls in Singapore, particularly those who are feeling lost and stuck?
For those who are stuck, and even those who haven’t yet taken the step to be one, I’d say it’s normal to feel lost. It’s okay to not know what you want, but perhaps, you may know what you don’t want to do, and that could be a point of discovery in your journey.
I also don’t entirely believe in the saying “follow your passion” – one should be careful with that, because there could be something you’re passionate about, but that doesn’t mean you need to make a living out of it. In a way, talent and passion can be mutually exclusive. If they’re aligned, then that’s great, but you can also have something you’re good at that can then earn you money, and give you the means to enjoy what you’re passionate about.
Looking back to when I was starting out, one of the things that helped me the most, that I still really believe in, is that if you want to be better, get yourself more mentors and coaches, within the industry or otherwise. It’s very lonely up there and decisions can be tough, so you’ll need the right support and advice, and the ability to spar with others, especially when you’re stuck.
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The interiors of the new MORNING boutique at New Bahru
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