Nov 03, 2024
Coffee Near Me is not exactly your average cafe.
Founder Sonia Lim runs it within her family's landed home in Upper Thomson.
Opened in February, this home-based business provides a cafe experience for its customers.
You walk through the entrance (or front gate, in this case), place your order and head to the seats and tables available at the front yard to enjoy your coffee.
Initially, they served coffee to the surrounding community only.
"There aren't any cafes nearby so it's not very convenient if you don't have a car," the 21-year-old said during a chat with AsiaOne.
At the time, all you had to do was drop her a text, come by and pick up your cup of coffee.
This had been going on for a few months until Coffee Near Me started going viral on social media.
Thanks to a few TikTok clips, what was once a coffee business for a neighbourhood became a home-based cafe open to the public.
"I felt there was potential and I wanted people to know more about this space," Sonia said before cheekily noting that the decision to open to a wider customer base might make her a few extra bucks too.
But this transition brought with it more challenges.
While the number of customers grew, there was no change to the operational processes.
Sonia recalled: "It became more stressful because I was [still] the only one that's preparing the drinks."
The first two weeks after Coffee Near Me opened to the public, her cousin came over to offer a helping hand.
Apart from churning out orders, there was also the issue of crowd control.
Having neighbours over for a cuppa is one thing but welcoming a bunch of strangers into your home is a whole new ball game.
"The tricky part is that I have very limited tables and chairs," Sonia said.
Coffee Near Me was not fully prepared for the influx of customers so, at times, they would hang around, queuing or waiting for an empty seat.
People wanted to experience what they saw in those social media videos — a place to chill with friends over drinks and small bites.
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But having a thriving business inside of a quiet residential district didn't sit well with some.
In late September, Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Singapore Food Agency personnel dropped by, Sonia told AsiaOne, as the authorities had received "feedback" about Coffee Near Me.
She added: "They checked if I had a food licence, third-party bakes or commercial machineries at home."
The business was allowed to continue, though Sonia had to make minor adjustments, one of which was to remove the Coffee Near Me signage at the premises.
URA's home-based business scheme prohibits such businesses from putting up advertisements, signages or posters at residential premises.
This entire episode was a bittersweet experience for Sonia.
While she admitted to feeling annoyed initially, she has since seen the incident in a different light.
"Oh wow, it's like 'I made it'!" she giggled.
Caffeine lovers have options aplenty, whether it is an Americano ($3.50), Cafe Latte ($4.50) or Spanish Latte ($5).
According to Sonia, a favourite among her customers is the Matcha Latte ($5).
Given the scorching weather during my visit, I opted for an Iced Cafe Latte ($5) and was pleased with my pick.
When asked what makes a good cup of coffee, she excitedly replied: "Well balanced, not too milky but not too acidic either."
Fans of Coffee Near Me would also be aware of its secret menu, visible only on its socials, with drinks like Hojicha Einspanner and Cream Top Latte.
If you're feeling peckish, there are bakes available too. Prepared in-house, the menu changes weekly and customers can expect menu items from Tomato Focaccia to Earl Grey Madeline.
Sonia mentioned how tricky and unpredictable customer footfall can be.
And as if right on cue during our interview, she had to step away to attend to a customer’s order.
“You see what I mean when I say there might be nobody but suddenly I'll have [customers]!” she said.
Sonia was energetic in the kitchen, whether it's brewing beans, preparing milk, or whisking matcha powder.
As I observed from the side, it did look like she was (for the lack of a better phrase) right at home.
Having a desk-bound job wasn't appealing to her.
"I don't see myself in a 9-to-5 job," she explained.
Given Coffee Near Me's positive start, Sonia may not need to consider office jobs at all.
She is open to the idea of barista-entrepreneur being her full-time profession.
Sonia added: "I would want to [eventually] have my own space. But I'm looking more towards [a stall in a] kopitiam."
High rental cost and the competitiveness of Singapore's cafe scene were reasons why she is less keen on running a standalone cafe.
Coffee Near Me's competitive pricing vis-a-vis its cafe counterparts is something she took into consideration too.
And according to Sonia, moving into a kopitiam would likely allow for prices to be kept low.
After the chat about the business's future, she noted that there isn't a specific timeline for it to move out of her home.
For now, Coffee Near Me is set to stay put at Casuarina Walk.
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