As one of the people behind Common Man Coffee Roasters with 18 years of experience in F&B under her belt, one might think that Daphne Phee would be sick of coffee.
Turns out she can’t get enough, and believes that there’s space for a “fourth wave” coffee culture—one that combines “speciality coffee craftsmanship with culinary innovation, new techniques and multi-sensory experiences.”
A lot of big words there, but what does it mean? Daphne’s answer lies in Big Short Coffee.
Seven coffees that change with the seasons
Big Short Coffee isn’t just your average café serving classic espressos and lattes; it offers a small, curated menu with just seven drinks that change every three months.
Daphne shared that the cafe’s concept was a culmination of her experiences, from her travels to the rise of coffee and tea cultures amongst consumers. Each drink is prepared and presented differently using methods rarely associated with coffee, like molecular gastronomy.
To any passing customer, these drinks might look intimidating, but apparently, the unconventional look of the drink is meant to make coffee less intimidating and satisfy the curiosity of a new generation of drinkers—those who crave an experience more than just a cup of coffee.
“We know that not everyone loves the traditional taste of coffee, so by layering in new flavours, textures, and techniques, we open the door to people who might not otherwise explore coffee at all,” explained Daphne.
Consistently changing the menu also gives the team the flexibility to experiment with and explore novel recipes and extraction methods, as well as refine existing processes, such as milk clarification and botanical distillation.
While she kept specific business figures under wraps, Daphne shared that she launched Big Short Coffee with Harry Grover, with whom she had worked at Common Man Coffee Roasters, and launched the cafe using their own savings from their previous ventures.
The pair has also decided to take the reins of the cafe’s renovations to reduce costs, and after a few months of renovation and preparation, Big Short Coffee opened its doors in July 2024.
Going viral & finding their audience
Launching the business was the easy part. Next comes sustaining the business, which requires Daphne to shift her focus.
She shared that Big Short Cafe’s concept was designed for the younger consumers, who are “curious, creative and open to exploring new coffee flavours.” Hence, they focused on promoting the business on Instagram and TikTok, as these platforms have a younger user demographic.
Thanks to their first group of customers and food bloggers who gave rave reviews on social media, Big Short Coffee went viral online. According to Daphne, the cafe has found its audience, which looks for new and innovative experiences.
Big Short Coffee has also piqued the interest of non-coffee drinkers, who were intrigued by the experience and found their drinks more approachable. That said, there were still some who walked in expecting the norm.
Of course, some people expected a more traditional coffee shop with classic coffee, but many quickly understood that Big Short is a little rebellious—we don’t serve food, we only have seven drinks, and we focus on crafting new coffee experiences rather than following the norm.
Daphne Phee, co-founder of Big Short Coffee
Despite the tough competition in Singapore’s cafe scene, Big Short Coffee has achieved consistent month-on-month growth, ranging between 10% and 15%—an encouraging result for the 11-month-old brand.
But to Daphne, this is just the beginning for the cafe, and she has revealed some plans that are brewing for the business.
Aside from sustaining and establishing its presence in Singapore, she is currently travelling and exploring major cities and markets that Big Short Coffee can successfully expand into in Asia.
While one might doubt Daphne and her team for being over-ambitious, she shared that these steps are part of the cafe’s long-term goal to “expand the fourth wave coffee culture,” and her team has “a lot of experience” in operating brands across multiple Asian countries.
When we look at new countries, we consider several things:
- How engaged and educated is the local coffee audience?
- Is there room for new, experimental concepts, or is the market largely dominated by chains?
- And of course, places we love to travel to regularly!
We’re still early in our journey, but we’re excited by the possibilities ahead.
Daphne Phee, co-founder of Big Short Coffee
- Learn more about Big Short Coffee here.
- Read more stories we’ve written on Singaporean startups here.
Featured Image Credit: Big Short Coffee
