MADE FROM SCRATCH

FROM HOME CAFES TO PRIVATE DINNERS, SINGAPORE'S F&B HOMEPRENEURS ARE PROVING THAT PASSION CAN PAY. HERE'S HOW THEY'RE KEEPING COSTS LEAN, GROWING LOYAL COMMUNITIES, AND TURNING KITCHEN DREAMS INTO REAL INCOME.

- Meredith Woo

How $5,000 built a business with heart Rachel Neo, Knead Kopi (@knead kopi)

It's 7.30am. You sit down to a platter of soft-boiled eggs, kaya butter on toast, and a porcelain cup of Nanyang-style kopi. And on the side, a freshly baked mochi brownie and piping-hot servings of curry chicken and stir-fried bee hoon, both treasured family recipes. Mains and sets are priced below $10 each, while drinks start from around $2.

There are other diners too, and many of them seem to know one another. Some are parents who have just sent their little ones to the nearby Raffles Girls' Primary School. Meanwhile, a jovial grandmotherly figure potters around, sharing stories and occasionally bringing more food to the tables.

This is not a cafe - not in the usual sense - but a space carved out on someone's front porch, with intentions that go beyond turnover and earnings.

Running this food business is co-founder Rachel Neo, 25. She began Knead Kopi in her home at Watten Rise, together with her boyfriend Glenndon Khoo, also 25, earlier in March this year.

She says: “We started with a simple, but deeply personal purpose: to spend more time with my ah ma (granny), who has shown early signs of dementia. We wanted to create something meaningful, something that would allow us to be present with her, while sharing the joy of good food and drinks with others.

“More importantly, we wanted to create a space where people could connect and enjoy familiar flavours together. Having ah ma involved in the process makes it even more special – it keeps her engaged and connected to the community.”