Japanese coffee chains muscling into S'pore's coffee scene
Eunice Quek | The Straits Times | Thu Nov 15 2012
Three new chains from Japan opening cafes here recently.
Singapore, November 15, 2012
The booming coffee scene here has seen cafe chains from the United States and Australia setting up shop here, alongside home-grown independent cafes.
Japanese brands have also been muscling in on the action, with three new chains opening cafes here recently.
There is Hoshino Coffee at Plaza Singapura's Atrium @ Orchard, the artisanal sister cafe of three-month-old Doutor Coffee at Marina Bay Financial Centre's Tower 3.
SaintMarc Cafe will open at VivoCity on Dec 7, while Okada Coffee from Kumamoto is slated to open by the end of this month at 100AM mall, next to Amara Hotel.
The coffee served in these places appeals to those who like their java mild. The beans generally have a lighter roast.
The Japanese companies are banking on customers taking to their style of coffee and are looking at Singapore as a launch pad to expand into South-east Asia.
Mr Takafumi Miyake, 34, general manager of SaintMarc Singapore, says: "Many companies are exploring opportunities overseas and South-east Asia is an attractive market for Japan. The first place to go to is always Singapore because it has many cultures in one small country."
SaintMarc Cafe opened in the early 1990s in Japan and serves its house brand of Japanese coffee, tea and smoothies. It also specialises in a freshly baked chocolate croissant called Choco Cro (below).
There are almost 300 outlets in Japan, and other than Singapore, the chain also has three cafes in Shanghai and will open a fourth there by the end of this month.
SaintMarc's parent company, SaintMarc Holdings, owns 12 food brands and will have opened 700 cafes and restaurants in Japan by the end of the year.
Mr Miyake also does not rule out opening some of the other brands such as Japanese fusion pasta restaurant Kamakura Pasta and Bakery Restaurant SaintMarc in Singapore.
Another new entrant, Okada Coffee, will open this month at 100AM. Established in Kumamoto in 1945, it has five cafes and one factory for roasting beans and making cakes in Japan, and a cafe in Hong Kong.
Hoshino Coffee and its sister outlet Doutor Coffee have been doing brisk business since they opened.
They are managed by D&N Singapore, which is part of the parent company Doutor Nichires Holdings in Japan. D&N Singapore also runs Japanese-style spaghetti restaurant chain Yomenya Goemon and Chinese restaurant chain The Asian Kitchen here.
Mr Adrian Yeo, 37, assistant general manager of D&N Singapore, says: "Business has been good since we opened but because of manpower issues, we have to control the crowd sometimes so that we don't compromise on the standard of the food. We use premium ingredients from Japan and so far the items such as the pancake souffle is a hit among diners, especially with teens."
Japanese tea chains are also eyeing Singapore.
The first Tsujiri Tea House outside of Japan will open at 100AM this month. Founded in 1860 in Uji, a city in Kyoto Prefecture, it specialises in green tea and serves soft ice cream and ice parfaits.
Then there is Tokyo cafe chain Nana's Green Tea, which opened its first outlet at JCube about six months ago. Its second branch will open at Atrium @ Orchard next month. The chain has 32 outlets in Japan and sources its green tea leaves only from Kyoto.
Auditor Cheryl Koh, 28, welcomes this Japanese wave of cafes, not only for the beverages but also for the food.
She says: "I quite like Japanese coffee as the flavour is quite mild. Also, the cafes are at nice locations to sit and chill, and have proper food which is plated nicely as well."
